Evening Report
by mantisbelle
Summary: Blake Belladonna has one job in her life, and its to provide accurate information in a timely manner. A relatively mundane story is all that it takes to throw her into direct contact with Weiss Schnee, whose family secrets could make or break Blake's career as a journalist.
1. frozen heart

The city lights splashed the world with color, illuminating it seemingly from nothing.

There was a certain beauty to it, something unnatural and wonderful that couldn't be recreated without meeting the perfect conditions. The way that the black pavement changed colors under the neon lights above was almost like stars in the sky. The water that had been left behind by the summer rain streamed colors across the ground.

If not for the roar of a motorcycle's engine, there would have been an eery calm about the world.

Blake was the disturbance in that peace. It was the sound of her bike breaking through it all, and puddles splashed around her ankles and onto her boots as she sped through them.

It was rather late, and Blake was _annoyed_. Seriously annoyed. She was being called away from a night on the town with her friends for work reasons that she needed to attend to immediately (at least, that was what her editor claimed.) That was what had her speeding across the city of Atlas in hopes that she could get back to her apartment and get to work.

The call had been simple and it had played out everything that she could have ever needed to know: It was a starting point if anything else.

The news (although Blake suspected it ran much closer to a rumour): Jacques Schnee, CEO and Owner of SchneeCorp had been hospitalized under unknown circumstances.

All in all, it wasn't a lot to go on.

For the average person, that wouldn't have been news at all, it would have been a story about an old businessman being in poor health. Most people would gloss it over and only remember it if it somehow popped up in the evening news or if they read the required trade magazines where the story would get picked up. For the average person, Jacques Schnee's impact on their life was tangential at best.

But Blake Belladonna wasn't most people.

She'd been reporting almost exclusively on SchneeCorp and its holdings for close to three years now. Her life had carried her through factory floors and assembler positions, it had been enough to get her removed from press briefings, and it had been more than enough to put Blake in a position where the average member of SchneeCorp's upper management was happy to keep her at arm's length. Further if they could help it.

But that was the curse of the life that she'd chosen. Her life was as centrally tied to SchneeCorp as it was to anything else, and so any and all news about the company was something that she needed to be on top of. It was her job, and Blake was damn good at it.

At least, that was what her editor from The Fang said every time she sent in a new article.

With all likelihood, Blake suspected that this story was going to go any of three ways.

The first possibility was that Jacques Schnee was going to be released from care with nothing to report on and nothing wrong, there for some sort of elective procedure (Blake had serious doubts that plastic surgery wasn't something that the older Schnees used regularly).

The second, was that the story would turn out that he was just an old man in poor health and he would be back home soon enough and they would return to the status quo until the time of his retirement..

The third was that Jacques Schnee's condition would be poor, and that the old man would pass away.

As shitty as it was to think, there was a small part of Blake hoping for that third possibility. She didn't like Jacques Schnee, that was true. Blake thought that he was a horrible, _evil_ man, and she generally wanted to see him specifically go out of business. That didn't mean that she was wishing death on the man.

No, Blake didn't want him to die. She just knew that the man's death would be the best for her career- it would give her the most to work on and the most to investigate.

Blake didn't particularly like how she felt when she thought about it in those terms, but it was what it was. Her life relied on whether or not she was going to be able to have a good story to put out into the world.

Already Blake had tunnel vision with regard to what she was going to have to do by the time she got home. The first thing that she was going to have to do was sit down and start making phone calls. Her main contact within SchneeCorp was a reliable man, but whether the man was going to be available so late at night was the big question that Blake had to ask. After that, Blake was going to have to hope for a doctor with loose morals and she'd have to cross her fingers and _hope_ that one of the Schnees would be willing to answer her calls.

Blake wasn't counting on that point in particular. Jacques Schnee's oldest daughter Winter was the best bet, but the woman had chosen a military life and was notoriously hard to get ahold of as a side effect.

Blake managed to get back to her apartment, cold and annoyed. The building was silent, a testament to how late it was, and most of the lights had already gone down. Blake did her best to ignore it and made her way up to the door to her apartment. She already knew that her roommate wasn't going to be home- Yang had been the one to invite her out for the night in the first place.

If anything, the quiet was going to be something that Blake could take comfort in.

She kicked her boots off at the door and took the chance to slip out of her jacket as she made her way across the apartment and made her way into the room that she called hers. Her laptop was already there on the desk, waiting for her. Beside it there were piles of notebooks and sheets of paper that Blake had worked on in the past. The pinboard had a few articles that she was particularly proud of pinned up, but Blake pushed past them in search of her list of contacts.

Finding it, Blake took her seat and wriggled her laptop mouse. The screen came to life, and Blake went straight to her emails to see what had come in. As expected, there were already messages waiting for her from just about everyone that she worked with.

Blake clicked on one email in particular- it was from her editor, and read it over before opening up her Skychat to send the woman a message.

It was probably going to be a little bit before she heard back from the woman, but for now Blake was content to wait and see how things managed to pan out.

Blake picked up her phone and called the first name at the very top of her list of contacts in the hopes that the man she was trying to get ahold of was going to pick up and would be willing to share some details of the story with her.

The phone rang, but only managed to give a busy tone. Blake grimaced, and set the phone back down. She'd call the man back in an hour and hopes that he would be able to help her.

For now, Blake supposed that she was going to be able to poke around and see what sorts of stories came up that she could put to use.

* * *

"I love the dress, kid."

Weiss almost felt intimidating by the other woman who was staring down at her from behind a pair of sunglasses. For a moment she reminded herself that she wasn't always the worse dressed member of her trio of friends, despite the fact that it may have felt that way.

Of course there was a reason for that feeling- Coco Adel was the heiress to the Adel Garments fortune and Neptune Vasilias was never held to the same standards on account of sex and nothing else, and he still managed to dress well on top of that..

That wasn't something that Weiss minded so much, so she was sure to take a seat across from Coco. "I'm glad you like it." Weiss said, smiling sweetly at the other woman. "Have you heard from Neptune yet?"

"He's running late." Coco responded, removing her sunglasses and folding them before hanging them from the front of her shirt. "Something about traffic."

"Of course." Weiss said, hesitating as she slipped out of the jacket that she was wearing. It was just enough to make her more comfortable for the night, although when she was wearing a two hundred dollar dress that was next to impossible to do. Relaxation was impossible when father's money was involved. "How are you?"

"Fine." Coco said with a shrug, leaning back in her seat and looking all too cool for her own good. "I've been hoping that we'd be able to enjoy dinner and catch up without getting watched."

"I agree." Weiss sighed, resting her hands down in her lap. "I really needed the distraction tonight, I'm glad that you were happy to come out."

"I wasn't doing anything." Coco replied, smiling and reaching for her bag, from which she removed her phone. She checked it for only a moment before turning the thing off and setting it face-down on the table. Weiss wished that she could feel like she was able to go ahead and do that sort of thing, but it wasn't possible. "-And you needed me."

Coco had a better lot in life from her, regardless of whether or not Weiss was the one coming from the greater family fortune. Coco was given a free reign to do whatever she wanted. She'd managed to make a name for herself, and she'd done it without dipping into her family name too much. Internships at magazines and photo shoots had made Coco Adel a household name by her own merit. Really, Coco was admirable.

Weiss couldn't boast as much. She'd truly gotten by on her father's fortune for some time, as unhappy as it made her. Of course, that had managed to estrange herself from her family in some ways, but Weiss was used to that at this point in her life. The one that she wasn't able to be in contact with at all was Winter, and Winter had left on her own decision. Weiss truly admired her sister for that.

But still, the fact was that Weiss had spent her entire life on her father's leash.

"It's too kind of you, either way." Weiss said, setting her phone on the table as well, although she set it there face-up. "The news from home was..."

"I get it." Coco replied, shrugging. "When are you flying out?"

"First thing in the morning." Weiss said, calming down a little bit when she saw the familiar bob of blue hair approaching their table. "I haven't heard much from anyone, but..."

"Nobody blames you for it, Weiss." Coco said calmly as she turned her attention to Neptune.

Weiss had known Neptune for most of her life. The two of them had grown up together, going to the same schools and never growing apart all that much. He was a little bit of a dork, but neither Weiss nor Coco minded it so much. He was a ray of sunshine in their lives in a lot of way, with a group of just as fun friends that had come from different walks of life from their own.

"Hey," Neptune greeted them sheepishly before he took his seat. "We order yet?"

"Not yet." Weiss said, smiling up at her old friend. "Mostly just talking."

"Hey-" Neptune hesitated, taking the third seat at their table and reaching into his pocket to set down a small package that had clearly been wrapped hastily and topped off with two silk flowers. Weiss didn't have a single doubt in her mind that Neptune couldn't have afforded the real thing, but he liked things that lasted. It was one of those nice things about him that made Weiss think he was worth keeping around. "-Me and the guys decided we wanted to get you something. I know it's not much, considering everything but-"

Weiss smiled up at Neptune and took the small package, setting it down in front of her and feeling some great reluctance to go ahead and open it. She looked her friend in the eyes and nodded. "I appreciate it." Weiss said, keeping her voice quiet. "It's been hard ever since I got the news. You'll be sure to thank them for me?"

"No problem," Neptune laughed. "They're all glad to help. And so am I."

Weiss took the package and stowed it away in her bag. Maybe she would open it later when she felt like she really needed the pick me up. Right now, she was with Neptune and Coco because they were the ones that she always went to for help. They weren't vapid or bad people like the media said.

Really, the average person didn't see where they were coming with.

"Have you heard anything new?" Coco asked, looking over at Weiss. "About-"

"No." Weiss sighed, feeling a wave of worry flash over her. "Klein called, but he wasn't able to tell me much about what's going on. Whitley hasn't said anything to me and neither has mother, and Winter..."

"I'm sure she knows." Neptune said, shrugging. "She's smart, and she's with smart people."

"You're right." Weiss admitted, knowing that her voice was going a little too quiet. "The plan is that I'm flying straight to Atlas in the morning, and once I get there I don't know what I'm going to be able to do once I arrive other than… wait."

Coco reached over and Weiss smiled just slightly when she felt the other woman pat the back of her hand. It was a gentle, comforting thing, but it was really what she needed then. What Weiss wanted more than anyone else in that time was to be with people that loved her.

She had that in Coco and Neptune.

Weiss took a deep breath and decided to follow up on what she'd been saying. "Klein said that it sounded like it could have been a heart attack, but he didn't sound that confident about it." She shook her head and relaxed, even if it was just slightly. "We're hoping that it'll be a short stay and then he'll be out in no time."

Neptune stared her down with worry in his blue eyes. "And if it's not?"

That was the exact question that Weiss didn't want to have to confront, but it made sense that it was one that was asked of her. "If it's not, then I'll have to step up and become the new CEO of SchneeCorp."

Saying it out loud only made it scarier to think about, Weiss realized. Before it had just been something bouncing around in the back of her mind that she would have to confront later on. But that was a problem for later, right now Weiss was certain that what she needed to do was enjoy the time that she had in Vale while she still could. All of the bad things could come in the morning and she could confront them then.

It wasn't as though they weren't going to be just waiting for her the very second that she stepped off of the plane that she'd requested.

A waiter came by and offered them menus and suggestions for what to order, and Coco was all too happy to wave him off and buy them just a little bit more time alone. Weiss was sure that they were all going to end up ordering the night's special anyways, since that was what happened every time their trio went out together.

Once they were certain that they were alone again, Coco spoke. "Do you think you're ready for that if it's what it takes?"

Weiss froze up. She felt like there was some sort of icicle freezing itself over in her chest. To try and force herself to calm down and keep her composure together, Weiss laced her hands together in her lap and squeezed. "I have been thinking about it." She admitted calmly. "I've gone to school for business so hopefully that'll be enough, but..."

"No telling until you're there, right?" Neptune asked, his eyes wide and soft. "I'm sure you'll do great either way."

It wasn't the best reassurance in the world, but Weiss would take it. It was about the kindest thing that anyone could have said to her, and it was a fast reminder as to why she kept Neptune, whose family had more or less accidentally struck it rich around. He was one of the most honest people that she knew.

"Thank you, Neptune." Weiss said, sighing as she slid her menu in towards the center of their table to signify that she knew what she wanted. "It's just a lot to think about."

"We believe in you." Coco said, smiling and mirroring Weiss' actions. "If you need either of us, you can just ask and I doubt that either of us would mind flying up to Atlas. I know that I was planning to see the festivals once winter came-"

"Yeah!" Neptune added, grinning. "We can make a vacation out of it and have fun up there. Skiing maybe?"

It was optimistic, Weiss knew. They both were just looking for excuses that would mean that they would be able to come up and enjoy the city. She was certain that Neptune and Coco did genuinely want to be there for her, but it wouldn't have been the first time that they had planned a trip somewhere with more than a few ulterior motives in mind. They would be there for her, but if they were coming to Atlas they would enjoy it.

Weiss was sure that if things were as bad as she was worried they were, then Coco and Neptune wouldn't want to attend funerals or do whatever else was coming up in Weiss' future.

"I'm sure it'll be good either way." Weiss said finally, forcing on a reassuring expression and forcing her voice to get a little bit more gentle. "You two know me."

"I'm serious." Coco spoke up, and she stared Weiss down with so much intensity that Weiss almost wanted to shrink away as much as she could in an attempt to relax. "If you think that you need us for anything, just tell us. Your father's in the hospital, we'd be bad friends to just leave you alone with that, especially with..."

Coco didn't need to finish the sentence. All three of them knew perfectly well what was on the woman's mind and that was very much a bad thing.

The fact of the matter was that despite their squeaky clean image and what the world saw, the Schnee family was _dysfunctional_ and not without its history of backstabbing, power plays, and just about anything else that someone could think of- adultery included. If they weren't wealthy Weiss was sure that they would have been considered trash the second that people found out about it.

But they _were_ rich, and so things that should have been looked down upon became matters of family intrigue.

Weiss didn't even know how to think about what that meant most of the time.

It was good that she had people from the same world as her that did know what it all was really like. That was really all that Weiss could have ever hoped for.

"I'll be sure to call." Weiss said, forcing herself away from the train of thought as the waiter began to approach again. "Right now I think I just want to enjoy my time with you two and then I'll be sure to call when I land in Atlas in the morning. I wouldn't want for you two to worry."

"We're going to worry either way, you know that snow angel?" Neptune said, breaking out an old pet name that Weiss had never stopped hating. Once it had come with different associations to it, with certain intents that Weiss and Neptune agreed were best forgotten. Now it was just a term of endearment between two friends. "Your father's in the hospital, we're going to worry."

Weiss hesitated, because she knew full well that her friends were really just doing their best to be there for her at a difficult time. As hard as it may have felt to believe them, they were there for her. And Weiss loved them both for it.  
"I know." She said, forcing a weak smile as their food was finally brought to them. "It just feels like so much." There was really no way to go ahead and explain what she was feeling, but Weiss wasn't going to hesitate so much. "You two dropped everything for me-"

"And we were happy to." Neptune sid, smiling so gently at her. "You needed us. What sort of friends would we be to let you go through all of this alone."

They were right. They were kind.

"I really can't thank you enough for this" Weiss said, smiling softly across the table at them.

"We're happy to be here, really." Coco reiterated as she pulled her food towards her. "But we should probably have dinner before you had back to your place so that you can pack."

"Do you want us to stay around and help you?" Neptune asked, leaning in slightly and poking at his dinner with his fork. "Because I'm not doing anything if you think you need it."

That was really too much, Weiss thought. The good thing was that she knew for a fact that she wasn't going to be giving up her apartment while she was away. There was no benefit to it. Really, Weiss was just intending to pack clothes and her toiletries before she slew out in the morning.

"I think I'll be fine." Weiss said, smiling. "Thank you, though."

"We're always here you if you need us." Neptune replied. "Just say the word and we'll be there."

Weiss smiled softly and nodded and finally began to enjoy her meal. Once it was over, the three of them stayed just a little longer than they needed to talk, but then Weiss was off to her apartment in the hopes that she could pack everything that she could everything that she would have ever needed for that time back in Atlas.


	2. arriving in style

On a normal day, Blake would have been content to lay in bed for as long as possible before dragging herself and going to work.

This was not one of those days, she thought to herself in some frustration as she prepared herself for the morning ahead. Today, her reason for getting up was nothing more than a rumor (And if she was in any other business, Blake would have immediately discounted it and moved on with her life.) Supposedly, Weiss Schnee, heiress to SchneeCorp was going to be flying into Atlas International Airport from Vale before it could get busy.

Blake wasn't counting on getting anything out of the woman, especially now, but she was going to follow the lead through. At the very least, she would get nothing, come back home, and crash for a few hours until it was a reasonable time.

So because of that rumor, Blake had gotten up at five in the morning, driven across the city, and had probably woken a good number of people that morning with the sound of her bike as a result. Blake didn't particularly care, instead focusing carefully on the objective that laid ahead of her.

Blake parked by the airport and walked over to the arrivals area, not needing to go in since she could easily get anything she needed by hanging by the door. She was glad that she had her jacket to guard her from the early morning cold. Once in awhile Blake would check her phone to check that there wasn't anything happening, but overall, her wait was nothing special.

Really, her job was mind numbingly dull most of the time when it came to the field work.

There was the sound of a car pulling up, and Blake picked her head up to see that it was one of the high priced white cars that belonged the Schnee family. Years of doing her job had put Blake in a position where she was able to recognize most proprietary Schnee company items. That meant cars, about a hundred different variations on the SchneeCorp logo, and the faces of just about everyone in the family as well as everyone on the SchneeCorp board of directors.

If she wasn't a reporter, she was sure that it would have felt a lot creepier than it did.

The sight of the man behind the wheel of the silvery white car was encouraging, because Blake knew him well enough. His name was Klein Sieben, and Blake knew him well enough. He wasn't involved with SchneeCorp directly, but was instead a highly trusted family servant that acted as a confidant from time to time. Historically, the man had managed to be a fairly reliable anonymous source, usually willing to pass Blake nuggets of information and leads from under the table. Meeting Klein Sieben in person was a first.

But Blake was sure that he could recognize her after so many times where she'd reported on SchneeCorp. It wasn't as though all of her articles didn't have her photo at the bottom of them.

Klein parked the Schnee car and was soon getting out of it and fixing his clothing. Blake was sure that he was going to be waiting there for the second that the plane came in. After that, he would head in and collect his charge.

But for now, Blake could take the chance to talk to the man. She probably only had as long as there was time before the plane arrived.

Blake reached into the pocket of her jacket and removed a small notebook which was quickly flipped open. Blake armed herself with a pen and began her advance on the servant.

"Klein Sieben?" She asked, raising her voice so that he had no choice but to address her directly. "Blake Belladonna, The Fang, may I ask you a few questions?" It was the same sort of introduction that she normally had to, but Blake had to do it anyways. The fact that she'd worked with Klein in the past didn't matter when she'd never seen him face to face.

The man turned to her, and smiled softly. "Miss Belladonna," He said, his voice as gentle as it always was. Blake was sure that he had already gone ahead to begin putting up the emotional and mental walls that he needed to be able to talk to her. Blake was sure that the man was under a number of non disclosure agreements, but that didn't bother her.

That was the point of an anonymous source, and Blake never outed her sources. Instead, she'd go ahead and do her homework to make sure that there were no major loose ends that needed to be taken care of.

He smiled at her though, so gentle. "I'm expecting you're here to to prey on the family's situation?"

"I'm just doing my job, Mister Sieben." Blake replied, scribbling the date and Klein's name down on the notepad quickly. She was sure to add the location and time for posterity's sake. "And getting reliable details has been difficult. If the company is going to be seeing a change in hands, I need to have my story straight as fast as possible."

"But of course." He replied. "I'm sure that your career is riding on the current situation."

"That's correct." Blake replied. "Is there anything that you don't mind sharing with regards to Jacques Schnee's condition."

"I"m afraid not, Miss Belladonna." He replied. "It would depend on what is done to preserve my identity."

Blake smiled. In that one question alone, Klein had managed to tell her everything that she could have ever needed to know with regard to his willingness to work with here. It was, quite plainly, him asking what the terms of her request were.

That was something that Blake could give answers about easily enough.

"I'm willing to offer you full anonymity." Blake said, keeping her voice calm and her expressions relaxed. "If you'd be willing to help me, then I'll write so that your identity can't be figured out. As I always have in the past."

Klein stared her down and nodded slowly, and Blake watched silently as his expression twisted into a much softer, much kinder one."I'll be willing to share a little, in that case, MIss Belladonna."

"It's greatly appreciated." Blake snapped back as she clicked her pen and put it against paper. "Where is Jacques Schnee being treated, and what is he in for?"

Klein raised an eyebrow, and Blake was sure that he thought that she was some sort of vulture for asking such a question. It could have been much worse, Blake thought but it was just the starting basis that she needed an answer on. "That's a rather invasive question, Blake." He said, voice all too serious. "Although if you must ask, he's in the premiere hospital in Atlas."

Blake nodded and scribbled down a note that read simply "Atlas General Hospital." It was well known to be the best hospital with the most experienced doctors available. It only made sense that the man would be there, and Blake was already wondering whether or not the Schnees might go ahead and make an effort to have a wing of the hospital in Jacques Schnee's name.

Of course, that would only happen in the case that Jacques survived. If not, then Blake was sure that any bills would be paid quietly and the hospital would be left to rot.

"I understand." Blake said calmly. "Do you have any idea which wing he is in?" She paused, because this was the only way that she was going to be able to dance around the exact words which would get Klein fired. "If you don't mind me asking."

Klein hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up. When he did, his voice was deathly quiet. "He''s in the cardiology wing." He said calmly. "And before you ask, I am here because Miss Schnee will be flying in this morning."

Blake felt her heart jump in her chest, because she'd just had a lead confirmed. If she could just get Weiss Schnee to agree to an interview, Blake would come out of this golden. Even if she didn't, Klein was a reliable source and had already made the trip worth her while with what little information he'd given her.

There was a part of her that was just glad that this would be Weiss Schnee arriving instead of her older sister, if only because Blake thought she might have a better chance with Weiss. Winter had brushed her off so many times that Blake was close to giving up on the elder sister entirely.

That wasn't to say that Blake hadn't been brushed off by Weiss as well, but the chances were still better. She and Weiss were known to be the same age, and Weiss didn't have a reputation for shrewdness like her sister. If anything, Weiss was just known for being spoiled above all else.

The thing that mattered to Blake above all else was that Weiss Schnee was the heiress to SchneeCorp. If anyone was going to be the most informed on the situation with regards to Jacques Schnee and the corporation's management, it would be her. In theory.

"Thank you," Blake said calmly, feeling her phone buzz in her pocket. She was going to have to check that later, but she was already assuming that it was from Yang asking about breakfast or something. Maybe asking where she'd gone. "Would you mind me staying here in case she doesn't mind answering questions?"

Klein seemed to freeze, standing up a little bit taller and looking thoroughly confused by everything that was going on. "You wish to speak to Miss Schnee?"

"It would be helpful." Blake replied, keeping her expression and her voice cool. "At the very least, would you mind passing my contact information on to her?"

"It would be up to Miss Schnee." Klein finally said, standing up tall despite the fact that it did nothing to make him seem more imposing. "If you wish to wait here for her, I will not stop you, but I also cannot promise you anything."

Well, Blake thought to herself, that was probably going to be about as good as things could possibly get for her.

"I'll wait." She said, taking a step away from Klein before quickly following it up with another half-step back. "I'm sure it won't take long."

Klein blinked and nodded patiently. "Very well." With that, he stepped inside of the airport and Blake was left alone outside, waiting for something to come and change how her day was looking so far.

She really didn't need a full morning of drawing blanks.

* * *

There were a number of things that made flying in the mornings easier, Weiss knew. The first and foremost thing was that she had a private plane that made her life so much more bearable. Not having to deal with people that knew nothing about her and would only want to know about what was happening in her family was a blessing. So was hot coffee, but that was more of an additional pleasure that came with the privacy.

As Weiss de-boarded her plane, she planned out her escape plan in the airport. She was just going to need to make a beeline to the door, and then when she got there she was sure that the car she had asked for would be there. If she was lucky, the one picking her up was going to be Klein.

After that, Weiss was sure that Klein was already going to have a schedule written out for her. Already she wasn't expecting to have all that that much time to herself that day, but that was just going to have to be how the day went. That was just the norm. Klein would help her keep on top of things as the day went- Weiss could trust in that at the very least.

Weiss had to fight back some of her nervousness as she grabbed her things. Ideally she would have had someone with her that could help her to carry it out, but Weiss knew how these airport pickups tended to go. She was going to just have to get to the doors, and once that happened Klein would be there to take her things, load them into the car, and then they would be able to go to the mansion.

The thought was enough to make Weiss pull her hood up a little more over her head, despite the fact that it did next to nothing to cover over her hair. She pushed her sunglasses up on her face, and just hoped that she could get through the airport without anyone paying her any attention.

But, as it was still early in the morning, it meant that Weiss was able to move on through the airport without anything to worry about for the most part. There were people there and present of course, but they were few in numbers and most of them looked so tired that they didn't even bother to pay attention to their surroundings. These were people that were more occupied with their own lives than hers.

That was exactly what Weiss needed.

She set a fast pace as she crossed the airport, and soon enough she was at the door and pushing it open.

Surely enough, Klein was there at the door and waiting for her patiently. He smiled at her when he saw her and took a few steps forward to meet. The squat man reached out for her bags and smiled at Weiss with his gentle eyes that Weiss had loved for her entire life.

"Miss Schnee." He said, keeping his voice gentle as ever. "I'm glad to see you made it in alright."

"I did." Weiss admitted with a slow exhale as she tried to calm herself. "Thank you for coming to pick me up so early."

"I'm glad to do it." Klein replied calmly. "The day will be rather long."

"I expected as much." Weiss said, hesitating. There was a tug of something deeply uncomfortable in her chest, and she couldn't help but to look down at the ground. "Has there been any news?"

"Nothing new, I'm afraid." Klein admitted as he wound his way around to the side of the car so that he could load her things into the trunk. "Although, since we're on the topic of news-"

Weiss froze up, completely unsure of what Klein could possibly be trying to refer to as the two of them stood there. "News?" She asked, keeping as calm as she could possibly manage. "Did something happen?"

"Heavens no!" Klein exclaimed, and that was enough to make Weiss feel like she was able to relax at least a little bit. "There's a reporter that wanted to meet with you-"

Before he could even finish, Weiss heard the sound of another voice over her shoulder. Weiss hadn't even realized that she and Klein had company.

"Blake Belladonna." The voice said, and Weiss let herself turn slowly to get a good look at the woman that had come to speak to her. She knew the woman's name. Weiss had heard it thrown around by board members in the past, and she'd seen it printed at the tops of articles that she'd never bothered to read herself.

Somehow, Weiss had never managed to see the woman in person. In fact, she'd initially been expecting that Blake Belladonna was the name of a man.

And really, the woman that stood there now was nothing like what Weiss would have expected. She wasn't someone standing in a suit that looked like she had come out of some meeting. She was younger than Weiss would have expected, and Weiss was quick to realize that the two of them were probably about the same age.

Above all else, Blake Belladonna managed to sell the appearance of someone that was deeply intimidating. It was there in the woman's leather jacket with the hooded sweater underneath, and the way that she slinked about, catlike. It was there in the way that she held her notepad made it seem like a weapon, and there was something that Weiss could only really describe as being dangerous written across her face.

A voice in the back of her mind told her that there was something about Blake Belladonna that was even alluring, but Weiss was fast to dismiss it.

"I see." Weiss replied. She held her head high, even though it didn't do anything to put her above Blake at all. Not much could, since Weiss was shorter than the average woman by quite a bit even when she was wearing heels. "And why are you here?"

"I'm a reporter with The Fang." Blake replied, her voice hard and dangerous. "I'm supposed to be reporting on-"

Weiss narrowed her eyes immediately and looked over at Klein before Blake got a chance to finish. "Klein, why did you-"

"I'm just here to try and do some honest reporting." Blake cut Weiss off. Weiss snapped her head back over to the raven haired woman. "I know that the timing is bad."

"Yes," Weiss snapped. "It is. I don't wish to speak to you." She didn't really know what she could do past all of this, but it was the least that Weiss could think to do. "Klein?" She looked over at her father's servant again. "Could we go?"

"We may." Klein affirmed, stepping up to the side of the car and pulling it open. Weiss advanced and slipped into it. Blake approached, and that only made Weiss' heart feel like it skipped in her chest. It was like every instinct that she had was screaming to her that this was a dangerous situation.

Blake held her hand out in front of her. Where Weiss was expecting something dangerous, there was simply a business card, white printed on black.

Weiss looked down at it and then up at the woman again. "What is this?"

"My contact information." Blake replied, all too confident. "If you ever want to help me with a story."

Weiss rolled her eyes, and she was beyond glad to have her sunglasses to hide behind. She reached out and snatched the card out of Blake's fingers before tucking it away out of view. "You can trust that I won't."

"Right." Blake deadpanned, finally taking two steps away from the car. "This won't be the last you'll hear of me though, Weiss Schnee."

Weiss ignored Blake. She pulled the door shut with a slam and faced forward and didn't dare let herself look back over at the reporter. Outside of the car Klein was saying something to Blake, but he was keeping his voice down so that he couldn't end up making things worse.

A minute passed. Blake left and dipped out of Weiss' line of site.

Klein took the driver's seat of the car. He sighed and reached up for the mirror so that he could adjust it and get Weiss in his view. "I"m terribly sorry about that, Miss Schnee."

Weiss felt her jaw set in frustration and at least some annoyance, and she had to fight to force back the more annoying thoughts that were threatening her train of thought. She knew that Klein only ever acted in her best interests, and he'd given her a chance to make a decision.

But still, annoyance was there.

"It's quite alright, Klein." Weiss said, keeping her voice as calm as she could manage. "Do you think we could just try to get home so that I can relax a little?"

"Of course, Miss Schnee." Klein answered, relaxing into his seat as he pulled out of the parking space that he'd chosen for them to use.

Weiss smiled and let herself lean back into her seat. While Klein, she let her eyes slip shut.

She only opened her eyes when she heard the roar of an engine. After a quick glance out the window, she saw the frame of a woman sitting on a motorcycle.

Weiss couldn't help the way that her heart began to beat a little harder when she recognized the woman's jacket.

* * *

"I didn't get her." Blake said into her phone, deeply annoyed. On the other end of the line, Ilia was sighing and Blake could hear the sound of the woman's keyboard clicking furiously. "I'm going to have to see what else I can do to get on the inside with this, but not getting an interview is annoying."

"Well, how did you go to her?" Ilia asked, and Blake could hear all of the annoyance on the woman's voice. "Because if you-"

"I caught her at the airport." Blake responded before Ilia could get a chance to say anything else or make any strange implications. "Asked some questions and got some help from the family butler. She didn't say anything but she has my number in case she wants to talk."

"So you won't get a call." Ilia snarled. "Great. You know, I remember when you were doing the gritty stuff-"

"This isn't like that." Blake said with an annoyed sigh. "I can't just talk to random foremen for information with this. They aren't on the inside with the Schnee family. Besides, I like this better than what me and..." Her voice trailed of. "I like this better than what I used to do."

"Yeah, I know." Ilia snarled back into the phone. "But you need a story for this, Blake. The Fang can't afford to get by on dated information, and you know perfectly well how Khan gets."

"Yeah, I do." Blake replied, gritting her teeth and leaning back against the wall where she'd decided to park. "Just give me the room to do my job, and we'll see how things play out."

Ilia was silent for a little too long, and Blake could hear the sound of someone talking in the background. Already Blake was sure that she had some sort of idea of what it could be, but decided not to comment on it too much.

Finally, Ilia spoke.

"Just don't waste our time."

Ilia's voice disappeared with a click and the phone disconnected, and all that Blake could think was that she was annoyed. Her break was over, and she needed to take her chance to go ahead and get her job done at that point.

She could do that. It was just going to be hard.


	3. ring

Somehow, Weiss had managed to be in her family's home for close to a full day without seeing anyone other than Klein. Normally she would have been paid more attention to. Whitley would have come to greet her, or her mother would have made an appearance for no reason other than to criticize her.

However this time around, there was absolutely none of that. Of course, It was a difficult time for their family, and even going out to the hospital to check in on her father had been all but fruitless. Weiss' arrival had only been met with news of what she absolutely needed to know, and her family's absence. Even then, Weiss barely got more than the bare minimum amount of information.

Sadly, it felt a little bit too much like the norm. Even with her father in the hospital and apparently comatose, the man managed to stand as a shadow over all of her family's manor. Whitley was staying scarce for some reason that Weiss didn't know. Her mother was off drinking somewhere and was presumably feeling more miserable and stressed than she did normally. Winter was somewhere off on her own, probably all but completely unaware as to what was going on. If she did know, she couldn't exactly rush back to Atlas at the drop of a hat.

Because of all of that, Weiss' first chance seeing anyone would be over dinner, and it would just be spent with her brother if he even decided to show up. The two of them hadn't had all that much to say to each other, and Weiss knew _exactly_ why.

They couldn't really pretend as though the two of them weren't in direct competition for the company. Officially Weiss was the heiress to the company, but she knew her father. Whoever he liked the best in the moment would end up as the new proprietor of SchneeCorp. From the day that he'd been born, Whitley had always been the favorite. Weiss had reason to hold certain doubts that she would be able to inherit the company because of it.

Sitting down in her room at the end of the night was chilling. The mansion was far too cold, she was too tired, and it was too _quiet_. Klein would likely come by to check in on her at some point to make sure that she was okay, and that was all that Weiss had to look forward to really.

The silence was too much, and so Weiss decided to occupy the time that she had with her unpacking.

It was a simple process. Setting the clothes that she'd brought with her into the dressers so that they couldn't get put into worse condition, checking the pockets of her coat, and otherwise just ensuring that her surroundings were as comfortable as they could be. While unpacking she found the parcel that Neptune had given her, still wrapped. She considered it for a moment before just setting it down on her dresser. She'd open it eventually, when she felt like she really needed it.

If she'd been able to get away from it, Weiss would have absolutely just taken a hotel room for her stay. That would have been much more comfortable for her.

But that hadn't been an option, so now she was there in her childhood bedroom.

It was when she was checking her pants pockets that Weiss had to pause.

The feeling of card paper against her fingers was already setting off alarms in Weiss' mind. She pulled the small paper rectangle out of her pocket and flipped it over, mentally going over the day's events in an attempt to remind herself of what this was.

But then she saw the name, and Weiss really didn't like the way that he thought of the woman on the motorcycle made her heart sink and frustration well up under her skin.

Her name was there, along with a number.

Blake Belladonna. Writer for The Fang.

Weiss had her questions about it. She couldn't help but wonder if Blake was anxiously hoping for a call from her to talk about… whatever it was that Blake wanted to know. The fact of the matter was that the woman had come looking for her when she'd known that Weiss would be present in a location. That should have set off a thousand more alarms in Weiss' head, but a voice there whispered _what if._

Despite it all, despite what it could mean and what it could do, there was that definite temptation. She could make the call and use it as a chance to let out some of her frustration towards her family and her arrival at home. But to do that wouldn't be such a good idea.

Going ahead and making the call was dangerous to even consider. Weiss knew that she would only be asked questions that had answers that didn't exactly belong in the view of the public eye. Blake really didn't want to be the one to let those things out into the public's view either. She needed the sanctity of her family's privacy.

What was she supposed to say?

She couldn't really just go ahead and tell a reporter the truth about what was going on. How was one supposed to say 'my father is in the hospital in critical condition because he had such a severe heart attack that he went into a coma?"

How was she supposed to say that she and her younger brother were more or less in a contest to end up in a position of power?

How was she supposed to explain that her mother had no stake in the company despite the fact that she was technically completely able to run it?

Weiss didn't know, and so she set the business card down on the table next to her bed. It wasn't going to be worth making the call, Weiss knew, but at the very least she had a dream of something else on that little card.

Really, there was something about that short period of time that Weiss had spent with Blake that had left Weiss wondering. Maybe if she was lucky she would have been able to go off with her sister and she could live a different sort of life. Maybe she could wear leather jackets that had some actual wear to them and drive motorcycles instead of sitting comfortably in the back of her family's car.

But, Weiss knew, that wasn't her place in life. She had been born into the upper echelons of society and groomed for the sake of SchneeCorp since her early childhood. There were only so many options that she really had that she could take advantage of.

High society was just where she belonged, Weiss knew that, as little as she liked it.

A knock on the door made Weiss pick her head up. That had to be Klein, she thought, and so she got up and made her way over to the door. "Coming!"

"Please open the door, dear sister." A voice called through the voice, and Weiss was already groaning internally at the sound of it.

 _Whitley_. Of course he would finally decide to spend some time with her in a non formal setting. Already Weiss was dreading what was to come, if only because she wasn't used to her brother coming to her with any legitimate desire to speak to her. He probably wanted something, but Weiss couldn't imagine what since company was rarely in the equation.

She sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to relax as she stepped up to the door and pulled it open.

On the other side, Whitley was there. He was standing there, still in the same clothes that he'd worn to dinner. Khaki slacks, a blue shirt that probably cost one or two hundred dollars, and his hair impossibly well groomed.

He wanted something from her, Weiss was _certain_ of it.

"Hello, Whitley." Weiss greeted him. "I wasn't expecting to see you after dinner."

"Well to not come and check in on my dear sister would be rather rude, don't you agree?" Whitley replied, smiling coyly like he thought that he was going to get away with something. "Is it so wrong to want to catch up?"

Weiss sighed, knowing that there really wasn't all that much that she could do at that point. "I suppose not." She said, opening the door to her room a little bit further. "Come in."

Whitley smiled and made his way through the door, and he was happy to make a beeline for the chair next to Weiss' window and bookcase. On the way he brushed his fingers over Weiss' dresser, picking up Neptune's package and turning it over in his hands in some interest before setting it down. Having reached his destination, Whitley took his seat. It was the only proper chair in the room, and so Weiss had no choice to take her seat on the edge of her bed facing her brother. There really wasn't all that much that she could do for the situation.

"So." Weiss began, making herself comfortable and doing her best to ignore the presence of the business card on her bedside table. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I suppose you went to see father?" Whitley asked.

"I did." Weiss replied with a quiet sigh. "I do wish that someone would have gone ahead and told me that it was that bad, though."

"Well you know how these things are," Whitley sighed, shrugging. "Vultures in every room waiting to get in on our family's business."

"I do." Weiss replied, her mind flashing back to the run in with Blake outside of the airport. "But I don't see why anybody couldn't tell me that things were that bad."

Whitley leaned back in his seat a little bit more, crossing one leg over the other almost elegantly. "I suppose that if you were in Atlas rather than spending all of your time in Vale, you would be more up to date on things."

The comment was all that it needed to make Weiss' blood begin to boil and frustration begin to take her over. She'd gone to Vale on her own _choice_ , because that was what made her the happiest. Being away from Atlas meant that she had a little bit more power over her own life rather than being tied to whatever was going on with her family.

Weiss didn't want to have to live under her father's thumb anymore than anyone else did.

"I suppose." Weiss said, although she kept her head high for the comment. She tried her hardest to hide how frustrated and nervous she was able to do things. "I would have been here sooner if I could have."

"Nobody blames you, dear sister." Whitley replied. "It isn't as though you've abandoned us like Winter has."

Another comment that made Weiss angry. "Has anyone heard from her?"

"No." Whitley replied with a roll of his eyes. "I suspect that she's doing her best to avoid us these days. Or maybe she's just afraid to embarrass the family again."

"I'm sure that's not the case." Weiss replied calmly. "Winter always cared about us. That hasn't changed."

"And yet she left." Whitley said, his voice tinged with frustration of his own. "I'm glad to know we're on the same side, Weiss."

 _We aren't,_ Weiss thought silently to herself, although she didn't dare allow herself to air the thought. She had the strong suspicion that her brother was just doing his best to push her buttons and annoy her at this point.

The constant power play that the two of them were permanently locked in came to Weiss' mind, and it became all too apparent to Weiss that this was a matter of him trying to provoke her. Whitley was trying to make her snap or lash out.

"She'll get in contact with us when she can." Weiss said calmly, because that was all that she could really do at that point. "You know just as well as I do that she's busy with what she's doing."

"Of course." Whitley said, rolling his eyes and standing up. "I suppose it's late, isn't it?"

"It is." Weiss answered, eyeing her brother with suspicion. "Is that all that you wanted to talk about?"

"I suppose it was." Whitley said, smiling coyly as he made his way over to the door. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow, dear sister. Hopefully we'll see this all resolve itself sooner than later."

"Hopefully." Weiss replied, unable to help the way that she felt so distant and lost when she said the words. "Thank you for coming to see me."

"It's no problem." Whitley said, finally closing the door behind him and leaving her behind.

Being able to be alone was a good thing though, Weiss thought. It meant that she had a little bit of time where she could collect her thoughts and calm herself down for what was to come. She seated herself on the side of the bed, and thought hard on what her day had been like.

It had been long. Too long. Whitley had only managed to make it longer and more frustrating.

The business card on the bedside table taunted her again, and Weiss reached over to pick it up and turn it over in her fingers.

Maybe if she could have some of her anonymity guaranteed, then she could get away with making that phone call and seeing what became of it. Maybe the conversation between herself and Whitley was all that she needed.

Frustration was there, all too clear on her mind. It would be so easy for her to just go ahead and air some of her problems to the press. She could tell them that she was certain that she was being punished for her absence.

Despite her better instincts, Weiss reached for her phone and made the call.

It was probably the single dumbest decision that she'd ever made over the course of her entire life.

And still, Weiss couldn't help but smile when she heard the voice of the reporter on the other end of the line.

* * *

Blake had been laying in her bed, listening to Yang chatter on about how her day had been. It was an old ritual that the two of them had been partaking in ever since the two of them had first met and started living together. Every night, the two of them would sit down and talk about what had happened to them. It was just a way for them to unwind and often just complain.

For Yang, that meant that she'd spent her day with her little sister going to the movies.

For Blake, it meant something else entirely.

But a phone call was a phone call, and Blake didn't have all that many options to deal with things.

Yang had been fine with the fact that Blake had needed to leave, and Blake was glad to have the space to do that. She left her apartment building the second that she was ready and climbed onto her bike, mentally going over the call in her mind.

Weiss Schnee had called her, with the intent of giving her some sort of information that she thought would be useful. For some reason the woman had requested that the two of them would be able to meet in person. Normally that was something that Blake would have said no to, but when it came to someone that was like Weiss who was important, then she didn't have all that many options.

She drove across the city until she was outside of a small coffee shop that looked like it was upper class at the very least. Blake had a suspicion that it was probably a little bit lower-end than what a member of the Schnee family would be expected to attend, but didn't care too much to comment on it.

When she stepped inside, Weiss was already there. The woman had decided to tuck herself into a corner of the cafe. She was sitting there at an empty circular table that surely only had the room for one other person. Her face was covered up with sunglasses, and a hood covered her hair for the most part.

Weiss had come here looking for some level of anonymity. Blake made a mental note of it, if only because that was probably going to end up being important.

But, standing around and making the woman that had kindly agreed to an interview wasn't worth it.

Blake made her way across the cafe and took her seat across from Weiss, already reaching into her pockets to remove a notebook and her phone. She carefully placed her things on the table in front of her where Weiss could see her, and waited.

"You're Blake, right?" Weiss asked, looking up at her.

"I am." Blake replied calmly. "Weiss Schnee?"

"I am." The woman replied, picking up her hand so that she could remove her sunglasses. Weiss folded them in her hand and set them down onto the table in front of her.

Blake couldn't help but think that she had come to the cafe too heavily armed, despite how little she had brought along with her.

The pen felt heavier in Blake's hand than it ever had, and so she took in a deep breath and finally took the chance to start the conversation.

"So you decided to call." Blake started, if only because that was the only good starting point for a conversation that came to mind immediately. "why the change in heart?"

Weiss was staring her down, and Blake couldn't act like she was surprised by any of it. This was probably going to end up being one of the most frustrating interviews that she ever did, Blake thought.

But the white haired woman sitting across the table sighed heavily and looked down at her table. "I forgot how my family could be." She said calmly, and Blake couldn't help the raise of her eyebrow. But Weiss didn't let herself continue instead changing the topic so that it would suit her better. "I need you to answer some questions for me first, though."

"I understand." Blake said, scribbling down her typical set of beginning notes that she would always use at the beginning of an interview. "What are they?"

"How will I know that I can trust you with the information that I give you?" Weiss asked, leaning back slightly in her seat and shifting like she was taking the chance to cross one of her legs over the other. "Because I think that you understand that this is a sensitive time for my family."

Blake paused, and let out a quiet sigh before deciding to give an answer. "All that I can promise you right now is that you'll be cited as a source close to the family." She began, her voice calm."We treat this as though you are any other company member under a non-disclosure agreement and you should be fine."

Weiss hesitated, and Blake really couldn't blame the woman for it at all. There were too many ways that this could go wrong for both of them. Blake just waited patiently because there wasn't really anything else that she could do.

"You think that will be enough?" Weiss asked, her blue eyes narrowed. "Because I can't risk the fact that I am interviewing with you get out."

"It's always been enough in the past." Blake responded. "It's the most that I can offer you."

"Very well." Weiss said,holding her head up high. She was staring down at Blake's hands, focusing on the one with the pen resting in it. "I suppose we should begin?"

"We should." Blake replied calmly. "I'd like to start with the status of Jacques Schnee."

"Of course." Weiss answered. "I got the news last night and was able to see him earlier today." She hesitated for a long moment, and Blake couldn't help the little uncomfortable pang that worked its way through her chest. "He's... not well."

"I'm sorry." Blake responded, because what else was she really supposed to say. "Could you give the exact nature of his condition?"

"He had a heart attack." Weiss said calmly. "A particularly bad one. He's been in a coma ever since. We... don't know if he's going to wake up or not."

Blake scribbled down a note, because that little bit of information alone gave her much more than she had ever gotten to work on previously. "I see." She said calmly. "Is there anything else you want to tell me about it?"

"Not particularly." Weiss responded. "For the time being the company is going to be run by the Board of Directors until we know my father's condition. If he passes or retires, it will either go to myself and my brother Whitley." She shook her head. "Right now, we're not sure who will actually inherit the company."

That was strange, Blake thought to herself as she scribbled down yet another note. Normally the question of who was going to take control over a company was something that would have been well laid out and well documented. But the way that Weiss was talking about the topic was like she was trying to say something else. That there was some sort of disconnect between how things were run and... something else.

Blake didn't know what it was.

"Have you spoken to anyone involved with the company on this matter?"

"Not yet." Weiss answered, holding her head up high. "Neither has my brother, to my knowledge. At the moment the company is under the control of man by the name Marlin Claret. He acts as a high-ranking member of the board of directors. When my father's retirement or..." Weiss went quiet. "Or we have other news comes, then it will go to either myself or Whitley to control."

Blake scribbled the note down. She had her serious doubts that she was going to find herself in a situation where she would be able to speak to Marlin Claret. If anything about how past meetings with similarly high ranking members of SchneeCorp's board was any indicator, then Blake would be turned away in a second.

"I understand." Blake replied, looking down at her small notepad with the small set of notes that she'd taken the time to record there. "What of your mother's involvement within the company?"

Weiss' eyes darkened and her expression grew to be much more severe all at once. "My mother no longer has formal involvement within SchneeCorp." She watched Blake closely, keeping her gaze close and intense. "Although I suspect that you already know that."

So she'd done her research, Blake realized. That was a good thing to know. It was always a good thing to know whether or not she was stepping into an interview with someone that was informed or not.

The truth was that Blake didn't really know what to make of the Schnee heiress. She hadn't exactly taken to keeping close tabs on the offspring of Jacques Schnee beyond keeping track of the most basic information possible. There had been at least a part of Blake that had come in with certain expectations.

She'd been expecting that Weiss would be disconnected from the things in the company. She would be a young woman that knew closely about what the family's bank account looked like, but not much about how things actually worked. Blake had been expecting vapidness. Expensive clothes and little to not interest in the way that things would work. Entitlement.

But somehow the woman that she was meeting with was managing to look nothing like what Blake had been expecting. Weiss seemed intelligent in her own way, and while the woman was certainly conscious of her looks, she did seem to have some intelligence about her.

Weiss being able to name the people in charge of her father's company was a surprise in itself that Blake was all too happy to hear. IT meant that she was going to be able t work with Weiss and be kept in a position where they were going to be able to work forward. Really, there was a rather large part of Blake that was hoping to see another interview moving forward.

But she had been asked a question, and Blake knew fully well that it would be rude to let it hang over their heads for forever. "I am aware, yes." Blake said, trying her best not to smile through her response.

"So you were testing me, then?" Weiss asked, leaning forward and smiling slightly herself. It was a surprise. "You thought that I wouldn't know about my family's company?"

"I can't say that I knew how involved you would be." Blake replied calmly. "Have you been preparing yourself to eventually lead the company?"

"I have." Weiss replied. "I have a business degree, and I spend my time doing my research and trying to get to a better place to be able to take it over."

"And your brother?"

"Has taken similar measures." Weiss said calmly. "My sister would have done the same had she decided that she wanted to remain in the line of succession."

Blake scribbled down a few notes, already thinking about how she was going to be able to twist the things that had been said during this interview to make it sound as though it had truly been done with someone that was just a person that was close to the family. Maybe she would get lucky enough that Weiss would agree to future interviews moving forward, and then she would gain the woman's trust enough that Blake would be able to start interviewing and writing from a more honest point of view.

All of a sudden, Blake was sincerely hoping that she had a better way of talking to Weiss. She wished that she'd had the time to prepare a list of questions for the woman, but every part of their meeting had been arranged so suddenly that doing anything like that just wasn't in the question.

"How did you find out?" Blake asked calmly. "About your father's condition?"

"One of our family's butlers called me when it happened." Weiss explained, her eyes going dark and her gaze flickering down to the table between the two of them. "After that I booked a flight as quickly as I could and flew back to Atlas in the morning as soon as I could."

Blake felt a pang of sympathy, and really didn't want to do anything to acknowledge it. there had to be something wrong. Perhaps it was Blake's own upbringing that was getting in the way now. Maybe it had to do with the fact that her mother and father had always been there and happy to reach out to her and help her if she needed them. Even when Blake would take the time to try and push the two of them away, she could always trust that one of them would step in and try to help her if something was wrong.

For someone to have to receive the news that their father was in the hospital and in serious condition from a family butler...

There was something wrong, and Blake didn't know what it was.

And she really didn't want to know.

But she was a journalist, and SchneeCorp was her specialty, and had been ever since she'd first started writing professionally.

"Is that sort of thing normal?" Blake asked, because it was something that would be useful to know. "Or was this an outstanding circumstance?"

"I'm choosing to abstain from answering." Weiss replied, her voice calm. "If I may."

"You may." Blake said, scribbling down yet another note and trying not to feel frustrated by the response. This sort of thing had to be expected at some point, she knew, but she'd been hoping that it wouldn't come as easily as it did. "I'm sorry about how our first meeting went this morning."

"It was a bad time." Weiss said with a coolness that Blake couldn't deny. Blake had to wonder how many interviews Weiss had been through in the past if she was able to keep her calm as well as she had so far. "And there was a lot going on."

"I understand." Blake replied. "I think that you've told me everything that I needed to know for this article."

"Do you?" Weiss asked. "And if i have more things that I want to tell you?"

Blake paused, because that was absolutely the sort of response that she hadn't been expecting at all. "You want to tell me more?"

"I think so." Weiss said, with a little bit of hesitation but still managing to maintain her calm. "Although I would hope that if we do so in a follow up interview there would be more time to prepare."

Blake nodded and smiled. "I would be glad to do another interview if you think there's something that you would like to share." She said calmly. "And some more time would be nice, I agree."

"Then it's settled." Weiss said, smiling slightly. "I have your number, and since I've called you then I suppose that you'd be able to call me if you need to ask questions?"

Blake nodded and flipped his notebook closed so that she could slip it away in her pocket once again. Once she got back to her apartment, Blake knew that she was going to have a lot of work to do, but that was going to have to wait for a little bit. "I guess so." She said, standing up and stretching slightly. "If you want to?"

Weiss nodded, a slight smile just beginning to tug at the corners of her lips. "I think that I do, Blake Belladonna."

It was about the best thing that Blake could have hoped for, but fearing the situation become more awkward, Blake left without another word beyond goodbye.


	4. the morning after

Weiss was awoken by the sound of her phone's alarm going off with a loud, irritating ringing sound. She forced herself to sit up and reached up to push her bangs out of her face as she drowsily reached over for the source of the intruding sound and turned off the alarm.

Staring up at her from her lockscreen was a message from a number that Weiss quickly recognized as being Blake's. She blinked, more than unsure of what to think of it. All that it did was give a rather simple request.

" _...tell me what you think."_

That had to mean something, surely? Weiss checked the time, and once she was confident that she had plenty of time set aside that she could use, she let herself open the message and see what it was about.

What Weiss found was that it was the last in a string of messages, sent to her at an absolutely ungodly hour in the morning. The messages started with a link to a web article and Blake thanking her for the interview with some additional information before the rather simple request that Weiss had first been greeted with that morning.

Blake wanted for her to read the article that she'd written, and that was beyond puzzling on its own.

Weiss didn't know how she felt about it. Somehow it managed to feel like overstepping the bounds of what their professional relationship was, despite the fact that Weiss was sure that there was absolutely nothing that was technically wrong with doing this. She stared at the link nervously and bit her lower lip, trying to fight back the urge to press her thumb to the link and see what this was about.

Surely there would be nothing wrong there? It had to be for the best if she took the chance to read the article and see whether or not it was up to par? Maybe she was just being given this as a sample as a proof of Blake's trustworthiness.

Weiss didn't know, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to find out. Perhaps there was already someone on the way to the Schnee estate that was intending to shout her down for speaking to a reporter, especially at such a sensitive time.

Or maybe there wasn't. Maybe this was just a show of professionalism and there was nothing wrong. Maybe the only sign that there was something wrong would be later when someone started trying to weed out the family's staff for information.

Maybe, just maybe, Weiss was just paranoid about a common courtesy.

If that happened, Weiss was going to have to have some sort of plan in place to intervene. She didn't want for anyone to get fired, especially not for something that she had done. It was a responsibility that she didn't want to carry and sure, that probably wasn't a good trait to have as someone that was going to possibly run a company but this?

This was her burden to carry, and Weiss stood by that fact.

Weiss sucked in a deep breath and did her absolute best to steel herself before finally following Blake's link to see what it gave her.

The site that it brought her to didn't load well on a phone, and Weiss knew that she shouldn't have been surprised by that. With some annoyance she forced herself out of bed, wrapped a light blanket around herself so that she could preserve some of its comfort, and made her way over to the small table where her laptop had been set up.

Instead of deciding to copy the link down that Blake had sent along to her letter by letter, Weiss decided to just do a quick search for Blake Belladonna and the name of the specific publication that she wrote for, The Fang.

Weiss didn't know what she had been expecting besides maybe a modest blog that didn't show much more interest in SchneeCorp than any other publication did. She was expecting at least some criticism, but this wasn't what she'd been looking forward to at all.

Nothing had warned her that this was what she would see.

" _Reporter Reveals Horrid SchneeCorp Factory Conditions"_ was the first title that appeared, and it stared Weiss in the face. It all but screamed at her, a voice that said _you are part of the problem, even if you don't mean to be_.

And yet, it was all a reminder of something that had happened before. Something that Weiss couldn't forget that easily.

Weiss blinked, thinking back and remembering all too clearly what that specific article was probably referencing. She remembered her father's fury, the screaming and the anger about how a _rat_ had managed to make their way inside of one of the factories to let the story out. Weiss remembered reading it when it had first come up.

The story had been simple. A reporter, who was apparently the very same woman that she had shared a table with the night before, had worked her way into a factory and had managed to prove that there were subpar conditions for assembly line workers, among others. Weiss' father had been worried that something similar would happen with one of the overseas plants, because that was something that had the possibility of being much harder to recover from.

Blake Belladonna had been personally responsible for one of the single most hellish weeks of Weiss' life.

And it seemed that she had been doing the same thing on a regular basis for years. All that Weiss had to do was follow the links. Blake Belladonna had a specialty, and it was in being a righteous thorn in the side of SchneeCorp and its board of directors. There were reports on just about everything that Weiss could think of.

Financial statements, stories about her family, opinion pieces and stories about being removed from press conferences. Blake had them all, and Weiss…

Well, she didn't really know what to think of it. There were some things that she wanted to click on and follow to see what was said in them. The article about Winter's decision to leave higher education in favor of the military was one such subject, but Weiss was afraid to click and find out what was said. She was already expecting the moral judgements, the statements about things that Blake would know absolutely _nothing_ about.

Weiss had given this woman an insight into the inner workings of the Schnee Family the night before, and that was something that was never going to be able to be easily corrected.

What had she done?

Making a snap decision, Weiss forced herself to get up and get away from the laptop, at least for a little while. She felt like she needed the time to be able to collect her thoughts and get herself in a place where she felt like she could actually intelligently approach this. Right now, she was too emotional, and it made Weiss think back to a conversation that she'd had with Winter nearly a year before.

Winter had told her that it was dangerous to let emotions control her. Weiss did sincerely believe that.

In the end, Weiss didn't end up actually doing all that much. She left her room and wandered down to the main floor of the family mansion which was all too quiet. If it wasn't for the fact that it was early in the morning, Weiss was sure that she would have already been left behind and alone.

The more likely explanation for the too-quiet environment came from her mother and brother still being asleep. Normally her father would have been up by then, but he was in the hospital. He should have been in the dining room or his study, enjoying the morning paper over a hot cup of coffee that was as bitter as he was.

Instead, there was more quiet than normal.

Weiss would find the first sign of life in the family kitchens where Klein was at work on breakfast. She stared at him for a moment, standing by the door and wondering whether or not she was going to make herself into a nuisance by interrupting him. Making a decision, Weiss rapped gently against the doorframe with her knuckles.

Klein heard her and picked his head up to glance back at her over his shoulder. When his eyes fell on her, the man smiled gently and Weiss felt herself relax, at least a little bit.

"Miss Schnee!" He greeted her enthusiastically, although he kept his voice on the more quiet end of the spectrum. "I must say, it's surprising to see you up so early."

"It's later in Vale." Weiss admitted with a soft smile. "I was just walking and I figured that I would check in."

"Nothing to report here, I can assure you." Klein said, still smiling the same way. "Although I do have some questions for you."

Weiss blinked, feeling a little bit taken aback because she hadn't been expecting that he would want to ask her anything. Unless...

"You're wondering where I was last night?" Weiss asked, stepping in and taking a seat at one of the stools.

"I was." Klein said quietly. "Imagine my surprise when I went to bring you your hot chocolate for the night and you weren't there! I couldn't help but worry."

Weiss nodded and looked down at the floor. There were specks of flour sitting there which needed to be cleaned up. Weiss was sure that it would be attended to after breakfast, since for now there wasn't much urgency to hat Klein needed to do.

Her mind was swimming with things that she needed to say, and Weiss didn't even know where to start.

Klein knew about Blake though, Weiss reminded herself. He'd been there the day before when she'd arrived, and had even known about Blake's position on at least some level.

He was safe. That was the important thing. Weiss was sure that whatever she told him, it would remain secret. Klein was reliable like that, and he always had been. A better father than her father. A better friend than anyone she could have met in school. One of the few people that Weiss knew she could always trust about everything.

Weiss worried her lower lip a little bit before letting out a sigh and allowing herself to speak.

"I was meeting with that reporter." Weiss said finally, forcing calmness into her voice as easily as she could. It didn't work, and it wouldn't matter with Klein anyways. Years of service to the Schnee family meant that he knew how to see through all of them like they were made of glass. "Last night."

"Ah." Klein responded, his voice warming but also wary. "And what did you and her meet about?"

"My father." Weiss said quietly, accepting a mug of coffee as it was offered to her. "I think I may have made a mistake."

Klein raised an eyebrow and let himself lean against a counter. He didn't let his line of sight waver away from Weiss, and it left the heiress feeling more than unsure about how she felt about having this conversation. "Why do you think that you've made a mistake?"

Weiss blinked and looked down into the thick dark brown drink, seeking words that didn't come to her so easily. "I didn't realize who she was."

"Ah." Klein responded. "Would it comfort you to know that Miss Belladonna is reliable?"

That was something that Weiss hadn't been expecting, not really. She'd been expecting some sort of scolding or further questioning about what the two of them had talked about the night before. But Klein didn't do either of those things.

No, instead he was just trying to comfort her.

It almost didn't make sense.

Almost.

"I… Don't know." Weiss admitted, not letting herself look up at the butler. "What do you mean by reliable?"

"Simply put," Klein began, his voice still so gentle. "You can trust her with your anonymity. I've never known Miss Belladonna to out one of her sources, and I doubt that she would change her tune simply because she spoke to you."

Weiss nodded, forcing herself to listen to Klein's words. Blake was reliable. She had to run that through her mind over and over again, and still she didn't know whether she was going to be able to believe it. She let out a choked sigh and nodded, nervousness shaking through her whole body all at once.

"Is she… fair in her stories?"

"I'd say that she is kinder with some topics than she is with others." Klein answered. "This is a civil matter, I doubt she would be harsh with regards to it."

Weiss couldn't help but to squirm a little bit, feeling more than just a little bit unsure about how she was supposed to be considering and thinking about what Klein had just said. The fact that he was only able to talk about how Blake was likely to report because of the topic wasn't the most encouraging thing.

Really, it just left Weiss wondering what was going to come next should she desire to cultivate a professional relationship with Blake Belladonna. Maybe getting on the woman's good side and being there and allowing for her to report on SchneeCorp regularly would be a good thing. Maybe if she was open to Blake having a presence it would make the reporter kinder by not locking her out of the stories that she seemed to rely on. Maybe….

Or maybe Weiss would open herself up for Blake and line herself up to let the woman become a semi-regular fixture in her professional life, and would only get burned for it. Weiss wished that she knew how it would end either way, but it didn't seem that was was a luxury that she would be afforded.

She looked down into the mug that she'd been given again, hoping sincerely that she would be able to find some sort of comfort there but only finding herself unable to take it. Normally coffee was one of the things that Weiss was able to use to ground herself. It reminded her of mornings with her sister, and of taking her time travelling between classes with Neptune, or even the quiet voice of the man that had come to become Winter's mentor.

There was a reason that Weiss had decided to order a coffee the night before when she'd met with Blake. She'd needed that comfort.

Weiss did her best to push the thought away from her mind and picked her head up so that she could look up at Klein, who was standing there and looking so very relaxed. Like there was nothing long at all. Weiss hesitated for a moment, a certain question dancing around in the back of her mind that had the potential to make things worse.

"Klein?" She asked finally, deciding that it was probably for the best to let the bad come. "How do you know her?"

"I do my research on the company and the family." Klein said calmly. "I find that keeping an eye on the press has been useful in preparing me for what your father's moods might send up looking like." He shook his head and turned back to the food that he'd been working on, all too calm. "I'm sure that's something that you can understand."

"I do." Weiss admitted, and she couldn't help but wonder how much of a mistake she'd managed to make by never doing similar research when she was still living in the Schnee manor regularly. "It just seemed like you knew her from something else."

Klein went quiet, and Weiss could see the way that his shoulders tensed in an obvious sign of nervousness. She could practically imagine the man edging his way into the corner of a room already because of it, always looking to make his way out of the sight of those he served. He looked back over at her over his shoulder, and Weiss couldn't help but think that there was some sort of fear registering all too clearly on Klein's expressions.

He was quiet for all too long, and when he spoke it only came following after a long, slow sigh. "I do hope that you'll know to keep secrets for me, Miss Schnee."

That was bad, Weiss thought. But she looked down at her hands before speaking up and bracing herself for what was going to come. "You can trust me, Klein."

"I've spoken to Miss Belladonna a few times in the past." Klein admitted, dropping his volume dangerously low. "As someone close to the family I've been able to pass on stories when it suited me."

"And she's never done anything to interfere with your life here?"

Klein smiled, just slightly. "I believe that if she had, you would have been well aware of it by now, Weiss."

It was comforting, really. Maybe with that information in her hand Weiss was going to be able to feel a little bit more confident about future meetings and interactions with Blake. There was a definite possibility for her to keep going, but for now...

She still had an article that Blake had sent her that Weiss hadn't been able to even begin reading. She'd gotten so worked up and worried that she hadn't been able to even consider reading.

Weiss let out a quiet sigh. "I should probably leave you, shouldn't I?" She asked. It was a simple question, but it was also one that she had asked Klein a number of times in the past. He knew what it was about- he knew that she was asking for the permission to stay if she decided that she wanted to. Whether or not Weiss would was always a question, but having the permission was useful to her either way.

"I won't make you if you don't want to." Klein said, his voice as gentle as it ever was. "You know I just want you to be happy."

Weiss felt the smile tug at the corner of her lips and she pushed herself up onto her feet, picking up her mug and topping it off. "Could you come and get me for breakfast?"

"It'll be no problem at all." Klein replied, smiling at her as she went to the door.

Just like that, Weiss felt like she was really at home again. It felt like she and Klein were able to pick back up exactly where the two of them had left off. Weiss was being cared for and looked after, and Klein was the comforting presence that he always had been.

It was nice to have that at the very least.

And Weiss was sure that Klein felt the same way. She'd missed him in her time that she had spent out in Vale. She was sure that Klein had missed her as well.

But she was home, for at least a little while. She pushed the thought away from her mind and went up to her room to finally read over Blake's article and see what she really felt about the whole thing. Weiss was wary of it, unsure of what she was going to be presented with but feeling at least a little bit more confident about the matter.

But she opened the article, and read, and read, and read.

* * *

Blake sat at the table across from Ilia, waiting for the redheaded woman to give some sort of reaction. She'd been waiting all day it seemed like, and her frustration and exhaustion only managed to pile up more and more as they day wore on bit by bit.

Mostly, she was still waiting for some sort of reaction from Weiss Schnee on the article.

And Ilia was still sitting there, reading the printed out story. Finally she let out a quiet sigh, massaged her temples and looked up at Blake.

"So." She began, keeping her voice down as she made herself a little bit more comfortable. "Do you want to tell me about your source, or should I start guessing?"

"They requested their anonymity." Blake answered, much more calmly than she would have liked to do otherwise. It was just the only way that she actually was able to tackle this. "But I can promise you that they're close to the Schnee family."

Ilia nodded, letting out a slight sigh. "You know that if this doesn't turn out to be true, we're going to be in a load of shit, right?"

"I do." Blake responded, folding her hands together in front of her. "But I'm confident about this story and my source." Of course, she couldn't go ahead and say who that source _was_ , but Blake had her hopes that Ilia could take her word for it. "And I trust this source. Very much."

"I just don't want us to get into any more trouble with the Schnees than we have to be." Ilia said quietly, leaning forward against Blake's dining room table and folding her hands together in front of her. "You know how it is."

"I do." Blake said calmly. "But you can trust this source. I trust this source."

Ilia nodded slowly and set her palms down, flat on the table. "I trust you." She said finally, her voice all too calm. Much calmer than Blake was used to hearing from her over something like this. "So you aren't going to tell me anything, are you?"

Blake hesitated, unsure whether or not this was something that she could breach. Of course, she and Ilia had been working together for years. They'd more or less been working on The Fang since the very beginning. Every time that Blake picked up a story, Ilia was there to check it. And on the rare occasions where Ilia would do a story, Blake always did the same for her.

It was just one of the things that made their relationship work. And Blake liked it that way.

And besides, Ilia was reliable. She'd never gone ahead and given a story out to someone that it didn't belong with.

"Fine." Blake said finally, leaning in and dropping her volume so that it was dangerously low. "But if I tell you, you have to promise me this doesn't get out."

Ilia stared across the table at her, and Blake couldn't help but think that she might have actually gone a little too far in her attempt to intimidate Ilia. But Ilia didn't say all that much about it. She just sat up tall and nodded.

"I promise." She said finally, voice icy. That was about as good as it was going to get, Blake thought, and so she leaned in a little closer.

She was glad that Yang was out for the time being.

"Not a word, I'm serious." Blake offered it as an ultimatum of sorts before finally deciding to launch into her story about the day before. "So I met Weiss Schnee outside of the airport yesterday, you know that." Blake began to explain, locking her eyes with her friend. "I got to her through an old contact that was nice enough to connect me to her. Old trusted source."

"But I thought that you said that she turned your interview request _down_." Ilia responded, leaning in with disbelief showing clear on her face and through her entire expression. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"I gave her my card." Blake began to explain. "And last night she called me. She wanted to meet so that she could tell me some things."

The absolute, deafening silence that settled in between the two of them was expected, Blake supposed. There wasn't really a good way to explain that she had managed to get an interview with one of the people that was likely to be among the most important to them in their line of work. Especially when The Fang was so often shut out of everything involving SchneeCorp.

"You interviewed Weiss Schnee." Ilia said dumbly, and she stared at Blake like Blake had suddenly grown two heads. Or cat ears, or something. "How the hell did you-"

"I don't know." Blake answered, clamming up a little bit. "I already told you, she called me. I just took the call, and when she asked me to meet with her, I went and we met."

Ilia nodded along, letting herself relax back into her seat just slightly. It looked like she was searching for something to say, something that she could do to make all of this make a little bit more sense. When she didn't seem to come up with something, Blake couldn't really blame her.

After all, Blake was still feeling some disbelief over the night before.

"So what was she like?" Ilia asked finally, her grey eyes flicking up to meet Blake's. "Anything like you'd expected?"

And that was really one of the major questions that Blake had been asking herself. When she'd agreed to the meeting she'd definitely gone in with certain expectations of who Weiss Schnee would be. She'd been expecting entitlement, or meanness, or some sort of demands to have to deal with.

But Weiss hadn't given her any of that. Instead, she had just seemed like a woman that had gotten frustrated with the situation that she was in. Worried, even. Really, Weiss had acted like a normal person and Blake didn't know how she was supposed to be reading into it quite yet.

"No." Blake said finally, shrugging. "Not really. She was smarter than I thought, for one. Didn't ride by on her father's name for her degree like I'd first thought. She knew a bit more about the company than I'd thought, even mentioned to give me a name that would be important for the current story."

"Which one?"

"Claret." Blake answered. "He's standing in as the head of the company until whatever family nonsense that's keeping Jacques Schnee from naming a successor gets hammered out."

"Family nonsense." Ilia repeated, and Blake couldn't help but think that the other woman managed to sound as though she was in a state of disbelief. "So it's really that bad?"

"It sounded like it." Blake sighed, because she really couldn't think of all that much else that she was supposed to do or say about the situation at hand. "She hasn't given me a reason to doubt her just yet."

"Yet." Ilia mumbled, and really that was the only word that could actually sum up what Blake was thinking. She had Weiss Schnee on her side for now, but that had to be a limited time thing- surely the woman would come to her senses at some point, and when that happened, things were going to change.

But for now, Blake fully intended on clinging to the way that things were already going for as long as she possibly could because that was going to be for the best.

"I don't know if she's going to ever want to come up and speak candidly as herself for us." Blake began, since this was an explanation that felt like it was necessary to give. "I figure that once she sees my track record-"

"Right." Ilia repeated. "Use her while we still can, I suppose."

"I agree." Blake paused, reaching for the printed out copy of her article so that she could pull it in close to her and check it over for something that would be of use to them. "I was thinking that we follow this story-"

Her phone rang, loud and insistent, and it was all that had been needed to break Blake away from her initial line of thought. Blake sat up properly and stretched just slightly before reaching over for the phone and checking the contact on it.

She was expecting to hear from Yang, some sort of question about whether or not she had plans later.

She wasn't expecting to see Weiss Schnee's contact information getting displayed so prominently on her caller ID.

Blake didn't say anything, just turned the phone so that Ilia could see who was on it. Ilia stared, her mouth dropping open just a little bit before Blake took the chance to pick up the call and see whatever it was that Weiss was calling her about.

"Blake Belladonna." She introduced herself, immediately upon pressing her phone to her ear. "Writer for The Fang."

"I know who you are!" Weiss snapped back, some anger showing clear on her voice. "And I needed to talk to you!"

"I'm guessing that you read the article?" Blake asked, putting on her most bored monotone because at least if she did that she might have had a chance to make sense of things. "What did you think?"

Weiss was quiet for a little while, like she understood completely well that she hadn't managed to bait the sort of reaction that she'd wanted. Blake didn't know what she would have been looking for, but keeping things calm was going to be a good idea for the time being. "It was... good." Weiss said finally. "But that's _not_ what I wanted to talk to you about."

Blake looked to Ilia, who was just sitting there sipping at her coffee. Wordlessly, Blake reached over and grabbed the printed out article and flipped it over to the mostly blank side before grabbing a pen. "What do you need to tell me?"

"Nothing." Weiss replied, her voice all too hard. "I wanted to ask you some questions, actually."

"Well, can it wait?" Blake asked, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Because I'm kind of in a meeting."

Weiss was quiet again, and that was all that Blake really needed. It wasn't as though she had gone ahead and told any lies about what the situation was. "It can wait, but I would prefer to be able to speak to you as soon as possible." There was a very brief pause, and then Weiss spoke again. "What do you mean you're in a meeting?"

"I'm with my editor." Blake said, as calm as ever. "You wouldn't want to talk now."

"Very well." Weiss said, her voice insistent and hard. "I want for you to come and meet me tonight."

"Understood." Blake said calmly. "Where and when?"

Weiss huffed out a short breath, and was soon following it up with the name of another restaurant that Blake didn't know that she was going to be able to afford, and a time- nine that night. It wasn't as though that was going to be hard to navigate, Blake thought.

However, she couldn't help but consider the problems that came from meeting in a public place. That put far more at stake than she liked to think about.

"I can be there for nine." Blake said, looking over to Ilia as she took the moment to scribble down the details of her meeting with Weiss. Ilia leaned in to read them over and glanced up at Blake, questioning silently. "Should I prepare for anything in particular."

"Yes." Weiss said, her voice still angry. "Be ready to hear from me about what I think of your-" She stopped herself, and Blake heard the sound of the woman shifting around like she thought that something might have been wrong. When Weiss spoke again, it was with her voice hushed. "I'll explain when I see you. But this isn't an interview. Consider it closer to a job interview."

And oh, _that_ wasn't good, Blake thought with a grimace. "I'll keep it in mind." She said, doing her best to maintain her own illusion of calm for the time being. "It's a date."

"Right." Weiss snapped. "Nine o' clock. Don't be late."

"I'll see you there."

And with that, Weiss hung up and Blake was left to deal with things for herself. She set her phone down and leaned back in her seat, staring Ilia in the face.

"So that happened." Ilia said, staring her down. "Is that how your last call with her went?"

"No." Blake said, shrugging. "Closer to the first time that I met her, but not like our last call before the interview last night."

"You're going to go?"

"It isn't worth it to stand her up." Blake said quietly. "Besides, this was probably a long time coming."

Ilia nodded slowly, her eyes downcast for the moment before she let out a quiet sigh and picked her head up to look Blake in the eyes. "I wish you luck. Get us something good, if you can."

"I'll do my best." Blake said, folding the article up and tucking it away and out of sight.


	5. about before

The moment that she'd realized that she really needed to talk to Blake, Weiss had gone out of her way to book a reservation in a back room at a place by the name of The Platinum Swan because the food would be good and the privacy would be necessary.

That didn't mean that Weiss was going to let her guard down, though.

This wasn't going to be like going out with Neptune and Coco, because there was a lot more at stake in a meeting with Blake. But, it was quiet, and the moment that the name "Schnee" had even been whispered, Weiss had been guaranteed absolute privacy.

Her name was a powerful thing to have, but it was also a terrible curse. A private table couldn't make up for the fact that her family was broken, and that her father was in a hospital and possibly dying.

No, nothing could make up for that.

Weiss was sure that she would have been feeling much different about this planned meeting if she didn't have so much sitting on it. Following her meeting with Klein over breakfast, Weiss had been glad to do her research and learn everything that she could have possibly needed to know about Blake Belladonna.

She'd come with a folder of printed articles (getting them printed without anyone noticing had been a pain, but manageable) and she was ready to confront Blake and let the woman know that she had made Weiss' life _very_ hard, several times over. The only problem was that currently Weiss had no choice but to wait for Blake and hope that the woman would be able to find her.

Weiss had ended up seated at the private table in the back room just long enough to order herself a glass of pinot grigio when the waiter came to the back room, looking frazzled and someone worried.

"Miss Schnee?" He interjected, his voice hurried and worried. "There's someone saying that she's here to see you."

"Is there?" Weiss asked, figuring that it was for the best if she played along. The last thing that she wanted was to play into some sort of frenzy by being too candid.

"Yes." He repeated, standing up straight and holding his serving tray in front of him. "She said her name was Blake Belladonna."

"I see." Weiss let out a quiet sigh as she steeled herself for what was to come. "Could you please let her in?"

"Of course, Miss Schnee." The waiter stuttered out, letting himself bow before hurrying out of the room and off to who knows where. Minutes later, Blake Belladonna stepped in.

This time when she first saw Blake, Blake was entirely different from their first meeting. The cigarettes and motorcycles and leather jackets were gone, replaced with a crisp white button down shirt and dark violet blazer, with black pants.

It seemed that she'd taken the hint that this would be a professional meeting, and to Weiss that was a _very_ good thing. It meant that she would have a little bit less to worry about in the long run.

"Hello, Blake." Weiss greeted the woman, picking her head up so that she could look up at her. "I see you found your way here alright?"

"I did." Blake said, her voice as calm and collected as ever. "I wish it wasn't so upscale, though."

Weiss felt a pang of something that she wasn't able to name, but she didn't let herself acknowledge it. Part of the reason that she'd decided to have Blake meet her here was because she had wanted to have the upper hand for a little bit.

"You'll learn to deal with it." Weiss said, shifting and reaching for her bag where it sat at her side. Waiting there, just at the top was the folder that she'd brought. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Right." Blake deadpanned, and Weiss watched as the woman did the same thing that she had done the night before by removing the notepad and pen from her pocket and laying them out of the table and following them up with her phone. "I figure that this is about the article."

"It is." Weiss said, holding her head high because she felt like she could use anything that she could possibly get in order to have the upper hand here. "Among other things."

Blake paused, and Weiss watched her reach for her notepad and flip it open to write down the date, time, and something else at the top of the page. Weiss was hoping that this would be off the record, and she was sure that once the conversation started that wasn't going to be any more clear.

"I understand." Blake said, not relaxing as she traded her pen for a copy of the menu. "Where would you like to begin?"

"I would like to start with the fact that you have made my life very difficult, Blake Belladonna." Weiss said, her eyes narrowing. "I suppose that I should have recognized your name when I first met you, but when I was looking for your article this morning, imagine my surprise to find out that your claim to fame was infiltrating the SchneeCorp plant in Mantle."

Blake's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open a little bit, showing some rather obvious frustration already. "Is that what we're talking about?" She asked, and Weiss could hear the tinges of annoyance that were playing at the edges of Blake's voice. "Because that happened _years_ ago."

Weiss leaned in and she was careful to place as little space between the two of them that she possibly could have. There was the potential that this could get so much worse, but Weiss needed to know what her current standing was in relation to Blake.

"I'm aware of that." Weiss said, holding her head up high and looking down at Blake over her nose, the way that she had been taught long before by example. She'd learned it from her mother, and then from her father. It was the best way to make someone feel small, and it was truly a tactic that had never led Weiss astray. "But I need to know why I should trust _you_ when _you_ are the one responsible for the shutting down of that plant."

Blake seemed a little bit taken aback by Weiss' comment, but she grimaced and set her menu down. Weiss would take it as a sign that Blake had chosen what she wanted to have that night.

"You want to know about Mantle?" Blake repeated, sounding like she was in some sort of disbelief. "Really?"

"Yes." Weiss snapped. "Because if I am going to be working with you at all, which I should note, I _really_ shouldn't be, I need to know who I am working for." She leaned back in her seat, making herself a little bit more comfortable, because she was sure that she truly had the upper hand at this point. "Which means, you need to tell me about Mantle. Among other things."

Blake sighed heavily and let her head bow forward in a way that let her hair hang into her eyes just slightly before straightening back up. "Fine." She began, taking on an eerie sort of calm. It was like she was doing her absolute best to just divorce herself from the situation entirely. "Should I assume that this meeting is off the record?"

"Yes." Weiss replied, not even giving Blake a chance to get another word in. "If you don't mind."

And she watched in some amazement as Blake picked up her pen, noted that it was off the record at the top of her notebook, and then moved on.

"Very well." Blake said, pausing for a long moment like she was trying to collect herself.

While she waited, Weiss took the chance to drag the memory of the articles that she'd read to the forefront of her mind.

Blake Belladonna, 19, and an Adam Taurus, 23, had infiltrated the SchneeCorp plant in the city of Mantle. According to the articles (Weiss didn't try to think about Blake's own article too much, if only because that felt biased) the two of them had gained employment at the plant through legitimate means and had decided that they wanted to get a story.

It had all started on the manufacturing floor and worked out from there.

Now, Weiss just needed to know whether or not Blake's story was going to match up with the story that she had seen. She needed to know what sort of woman she was going to be, and whether or not Blake was going to be apologetic once she knew what Weiss had gone through herself.

"Well?" Weiss prompted, trying her best not to ball her hands into fists in front of her. "Care to explain?"

"I was involved in the stories that led to the shutdown of the SchneeCorp Plant in Mantle." Blake said, picking her head up and holding it high, but it came with something else in her expression. It was shame, maybe. It was also possible that there was something else, but Weiss didn't know what it was. "My partner and I made friends with someone that worked inside of the plant and we were able to get jobs through the normal means."

"Why?" Weiss asked, her eyes narrowing and her letting herself lean in just slightly. "Because-"

"Let me explain." Blake said, keeping her voice calm. "The current editor-in-chief of The Fang, Sienna Khan heard through reliable sources that there was something wrong with the plant in Mantle. It had started with stories about people not getting worker's comp, and ballooned from there."

"So what does that have to do with you?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms over her chest in displeasure. "I really don't have the patience for games."

Blake sighed and let her eyes close, relaxing just a little bit, but it was only in the most slight way possible. "I'm not lying to you or playing games." She said, calm as ever. "I'm just telling you the truth."

"Then you should get to it!" Weiss replied, leaning in slightly. "Because I don't have all night and I have things to tell _you_ once you've finished."

Blake raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side a little bit, in complete surprise. She seemed to sputter for a moment, searching for words that weren't coming easily but eventually did just clamp her mouth shut and nod. "I see." Blake said calmly, sighing before letting herself continue. "As I was saying-"

"Of course," Weiss said, forcing herself to calm down as much as she could, "Carry on."

Blake seemed to almost pull her lip back slightly so that she could go into a snarl, but dropped it quickly enough to talk. "I was new to the Fang, and I was working with my partner because he had a bit more experience under his wing and was good at this sort of thing."

"What do you mean this kind of thing?" Weiss asked, because Blake had only managed to leave an opening that she needed to hear get closed back up. "You need to be specific."

"Hidden cameras, anonymous leaks, getting into places and things he didn't belong in." Blake said, sighing. "He and I were assigned to it. I was supposed to do the writing, and he was supposed to do the dirty work. We followed the assignment that we were given, and managed to do our job."

Weiss swallowed, unsure of what she was supposed to do or say next at that point, when things were so unclear. Blake had begun to give her a great insight and Weiss wasn't going to be one to turn that down, but she still needed so much more. there had to be so much to this.

"Do you care that you were responsible for the closing of a factory?" Weiss asked, leaning in towards Blake just slightly. "Or that you made the lives of our family very difficult?"

"We were doing our job."

"So were we!" Weiss snapped, raising her voice into a shrill tone that fit better on her mother than it ever had on her. "My family was trying to do business as normal, and when the plant was closed down, we saw serious problems." She held her head higher. "People lost their jobs. The costs of our products had to rise, which includes medical products because SchneeCorp has its hands in everything, and that particular plant was responsible for the creation of medical filtration systems, among other things. But I suppose that you would know that, wouldn't you?"

Blake grimaced, and Weiss watched her every motion, looking for something from her the entire time. She didn't know what she was expecting to get, or what she even thought the outcome of this meeting was going to even be, but Weiss knew one thing: She needed to have it be clear what had happened.

From her peripheral vision, Weiss watched Blake's hand ball into a fist and then relax again shortly after. It was about the best that she was sure she was going to be able to get out of the woman.

"I do." Blake said finally, staring straight ahead and not daring to let her gaze waver away from Weiss. "That wasn't our intention."

"That doesn't change that it's what happened." Weiss snapped back. She sat up tall. "But I suppose that you only care that you got your story out, isn't it?"

"That's not quite it." Blake responded, with a growl. "Things were legitimately _wrong_ there. I'm sorry that the outcome of my work was so bad, but I did the best thing seeing as your father wasn't doing anything to fix things."

And really, that was all that had needed to be said to set Weiss off at least on some level, if only because Blake had managed to touch on the heart of the matter. Weiss' father had turned into an absolute terror when that article had been released. His nights had been filled with screaming, Weiss' mother had taken to drinking more and more, and Winter had taken it as a final straw and she'd _left_.

Weiss knew that those were things that had very little to do with Blake, but she was also in a position where she wasn't so sure that she actually cared. She had been hurting when it had all happened, and Blake had everything to do with that fact and to Weiss there was absolutely no way that she was going to be able to get past that. Not unless Blake was somehow going to turn around and show some understanding, or make a pledge for loyalty or do _something_ to show that she actually gave a damn.

She stared across the table at Blake, wishing that she had a way to be a little taller or a little bit more intimidating. Maybe if she had the intimidation factor that she needed, then this would have been going much smoother. Maybe that way Weiss wouldn't feel so upset.

"My father isn't in direct control over every little aspect that happens in the company." Weiss finally said, forcing her own calm onto herself in an attempt to bring the conversation back to a respectful place. Blake still had the chance to sabotage Weiss' position in the company if she wanted to, after all. "And that made for a very difficult time. For my entire family."

"Well, I'm sorry.' Blake replied, and it was all too clear that she was still agitated. Weiss had serious doubts that she was truly going to be able to relax, especially when Weiss had brought along a folder of things that she wanted to talk about.

In retrospect, maybe that hadn't been the best idea.

"Are you?" Weiss asked, leaning in just slightly. "You don't even want to know what happened?"

Blake was quiet, her lips worrying and her expression falling as she tried to parse out an answer that Weiss wasn't sure was ever going to come. Finally, Blake let out a full-body sort of sigh and picked her head up so that she could look at Weiss directly. "I'm not sure that I do," Blake began, with something touching the edge of her tone that Weiss couldn't exactly identify. "But I get the feeling you won't let me leave without hearing it."

It was everything that Weiss had wanted, and it was the exact opposite of what she wanted. This way she knew that she was going to end up feeling guilty if she explained things the way she wanted. Because really, Weiss knew fully well that the things that she was talking about were deeply private issues. They were things that had previously only ever been even whispered in the Schnee family themselves. As far as people that knew the specifics of the aftermath, Weiss was sure that Klein was the only one she knew personally and wasn't related to.

"Are we still off the record?" Weiss asked, letting her voice go soft in a way that she couldn't help but think that she shouldn't have. It was too easy to believe that she'd opened herself up to be vulnerable. It had to be a mistake, at least on some level.

Weiss was sure of it.

"Yes." Blake said, her eyes shifting over to her phone and notepad. "I can assure you that we are."

"Good." Weiss replied, tilting her head up a little bit as she forced herself to bring everything forward that she'd spent so long trying not to think about. "I don't want to see this in the news tomorrow. Or ever, for that matter."

Blake blinked, and Weiss was sure that in that moment any less than genuine intentions that Blake had come in with were wiped away. Maybe, just maybe, it was safe. And if Blake played nice, then Weiss would be open to working with her again.

But for now, this was about setting the record straight.

"I promise that it won't be." Blake said, her voice insistent and sincere, if nothing else. "SInce this seems to be personal."

"I is." Weiss replied, sighing and reaching for her glass of wine, thinking back to her mother's state in the aftermath of Blake's article. It had been terrible, and so when Weiss sipped the drink, it left a bitter taste on her tongue. "After your article, and the plant getting shut down, my father turned into an absolute menace, and he drove my family apart. My sister left, my mother started drinking, and it was up to my brother and I to pick up the pieces for ourselves."

Weiss didn't like talking about this. Not when her father was already in the hospital and in exceptionally poor health already. In a way, bringing it up only managed to feel like a betrayal of sorts. This was inappropriate on at least some level, Weiss was sure of it.

But she needed to do this, and that was what was important to her.

But it didn't feel like it was enough. Instead it only managed to leave Weiss feeling like she was getting nowhere. She sighed, feeling that weight on her chest getting worse and worse the longer that she sat there, waiting for Blake to say something.

But it wouldn't last. Blake sighed heavily, leaning forward just slightly so that her hair fell into her face before finally picking her head up and looking at Weiss directly.

"I'm sorry." The woman said, with a sort of sincerity that Weiss hadn't heard from her before. "When we had gone in looking to do that, anything that was going to happen behind the scenes hadn't been high on our list of priorities."

"That's all that you have to say?" Weiss asked, faltering on her anger. Sitting by and continuing to push things along in her anger wasn't bringing her that much, but she'd at the very least gotten an apology. "You don't-"

"I'm sorry." Blake cut her off, and Weiss didn't like the annoyance that built up in her chest. "I don't do stories like that anymore."

"And yet you want to-"

"I'm not looking to destroy factories." Blake said, explaining herself and splaying her hands out on the table in front of her. "I mean it when I say that. I'm just looking to make changes as a legitimate reporter. That means financial statements and occasionally looking into rumors when they pop up. Nothing like I used to."

Weiss frowned. Blake was being sincere, that much was obvious. There wasn't all that much that she could do about it either, but she could run with the way that things were going and see how they ended up.

Progress was progress, regardless of how it was won.

Weiss sucked in her lower lip, worrying it for a moment before letting it back loose with a quiet pop. There had to be something.

"I am willing to continue to help you," Weiss began, wary. "But if I do that, I need your promise that you won't go looking to destroy my family's business."

"I don't-"

"No." Weiss cut Blake off, because she needed to be able to talk and make her terms clear. "I am all for improving it in any way that I can, but I'm not going to help you if you're going to be working towards destroying my family's business. This is my future and I am dedicated to this company. Do you understand that?"

Blake was staring her down, and Weiss watched her closely, looking for some sort of response from her the entire time but unable to find it. Finally, she let out a quiet sigh and relaxed slightly.

"I do." Blake finally mumbled, bringing her eyes up so that they locked with Weiss'. "I want to continue to do my job, and you are perhaps the most important contact that I'll ever have. I'll keep my work dedicated to finances and general reporting for as long as you're willing to work with me."

Weiss hesitated. This was it, this was her possibly going ahead to sign a deal with the devil and there was absolutely no good way of addressing that fact.

But, it seemed that she had a chance to help the devil get to be a little bit better.

So she picked her hand up and reached out, offering it to Blake in a peace offering. Dinner was going to come soon enough, but for now, this would have to do.

"Consider it a deal, Blake Belladonna."

Blake reached out and clasped Weiss' hand in her own, giving it a solid shake before releasing. "I'd be glad to." She said finally, letting herself relax so that she could finally look at her menu.

All in all, dinner ended up being a rather nice, quiet affair once the hard part was finished with.

With everything that was happening, Weiss liked that. There was a lot that could be said for normalcy in a hard time like she was experiencing.

And Blake... well, she wasn't so bad, Weiss thought.

At least, she wasn't so bad once they got past the issue of work. Not that Weiss really thought that it would be a done deal at all.

Blake finished her dinner with Weiss and was left feeling mostly unsure of how to feel about all of it. The issue of how much things cost was an obvious thing that Blake had to deal with, but Weiss had understood when Blake had pointed out that the venue was a little rich for her capabilities.

And the fact that Weiss had been willing to help pay for her dinner by the end of the night was a miracle in itself. It was a favor that Blake didn't expect to ever see repeated, and it was probably for the better that way. There was so much about the situation that was wrong, and Blake was doing her best to be better.

Weiss needed it from her, at the very least. And Blake? Blake needed to know that her job was going to be secure through everything.

How that had brought her to a public waterfront and landed her sitting there side by side with Weiss Schnee was beyond her. There was something about it all that was so far beyond informal that Blake didn't know how to read into. It was like Weiss was making an effort to get used to her, but at the same time, it was a waste of time, at least on some level.

All that Blake could do was promise Weiss that whatever they talked about was on or off the record when it got brought up. Some things, Blake had learned, were very far from allowed to be touched. The main topics that were disallowed were strictly family things that didn't belong in the public eye. Business and work was fair game.

But that wasn't going to make Blake feel any less awkward about the fact that she was there with Weiss. Nothing was, not really.

It was quiet. Blake was sure that it had to be late. It was good that she had a way home, and Weiss was going to be able to call a driver when she decided that she wanted to go home.

As for the night, it was comforting and cool. The summer air was pleasing against Blake's skin, her hair was brushed back out of her face, and she felt like she was able to relax. She'd shucked off her jacket a while ago, and since leaving the restaurant, being able to relax was just nice.

The main thing that had thrown Blake off was the current company that she kept, if only because she didn't know what to make of it. Herself and Weiss weren't on good ground, and Blake had no illusions about that.

However, the fact was that Blake had been able to start bracing herself for what was going to come during their meeting was a relief. Being placed in a situation where she didn't have to tell Weiss more than she needed to also helped. For instance, when Weiss asked Blake about things like Mantle, Blake was sure that she wasn't asking about things like who Blake used to work with.

Or what had made them fall apart, which was a secret that Blake was ready to carry to her grave.

Since the conversation had been dropped, Blake had fallen into a pattern of just asking Weiss whatever questions came to her mind that needed to be answered.

"So," Blake asked, glancing over at Weiss out of the corner of her eye. "Is there a particular reason that you wanted to come here?"

"No." Weiss said, just as quietly as a whisper, but with some hesitation painting her voice. "I just didn't want to go back to the estate so soon."

Blake blinked and paused, still deeply unsure. "Why did you want to have me come along?"

And really, that was the big question that had been echoing in the back of Blake's mind since the second that they'd left the restaurant Weiss had turned to her and asked for a ride to the waterfront. There was a part of Blake that wondered whether or not Weiss had made the request with something particular in mind. The thing that Blake's mind immediately went to was her motorcycle, but that was something that she didn't want to go ahead and prod on.

"I don't know." Weiss said finally, still hesitant. She shifted just slightly, and there was a quiet sound of her heels hitting the ground with a quiet thud. "I figured that it wasn't such a bad idea to get to know you a little better outside of..."

"You know that there isn't any reason to do that, right?" Blake asked, trying her best to not come off as abrasive as she spoke. "Because you and I would likely be working together anyways."

"I know." Weiss said with a gentle smile as she looked over at Blake. In the dark, her white hair stood out as a sort of beacon, and the way that the moonlight glinted against it was attractive, if nothing else. Blake didn't think that it was going to mean anything that she thought of Weiss that way. It wasn't going to be something that would help her at all.

Weiss turned to face Blake and leaned back against the bench just slightly. "How has the reaction to your article been?"

Back to business. That had to be expected, at least on some level. "It's been fine." Blake replied with a slight shrug. "There's not really anything to talk about, especially since it's just a matter of communicating the facts." She shook her head, weighing what else there was to say carefully. She'd made the point to avoid bringing up specifics in her article for a reason. "How's your father?"

It wasn't right for her to be asking that question, but for now, Blake figured that it wasn't such a bad idea to ask the question person-to-person instead of putting the answer that Weiss gave into an article.

But the heiress only managed to look annoyed and the slight wrinkle of her nose spoke for itself in a few ways. She turned her face away from Blake and let out a quiet sigh. "No sign of improvement." Weiss said finally, shaking her head. "Klein has been trying to help, but..."

"Of course." Blake responded. "Have you been to-"

"The hospital?" Weiss cut Blake off before the question even had to be asked. "I did. Nothing happened though."

"I understand." Blake replied. For a moment she thought back to her own family, and her own father. If he'd been in the hospital and in such poor state, Blake didn't have even the slightest idea as to what was going on in Weiss' mind. Especially when the stories that the heiress had told her mostly turned out to be situations that were deeply uncomfortable at best. It raised certain questions in Blake's mind that she didn't dare ask. "If it works out..."

"Thank you." Weiss said, sighing. "Either way. Thank you for asking about it. Aside from my family there hasn't been all that many people that I can talk to about it. I have friends back in Vale, but..."

Blake grimaced and hesitated, picking her head up and peeling her gaze away from Weiss so that she could stare out across the river and see what was going on across it. There were lights on that side of the city of course, but that wasn't a bad idea. There were the lights of buildings, and they were beautiful in their own way. "I'm sorry." She said finally, shaking her head. "This has to be hard on you. I'm sure that you'd rather that this wasn't done with a reporter."

Weiss smiled. "It's been nice." SHe said finally, standing up and brushing her skirt down. She didn't bother to put her shoes back on as she made her way down the bank of the river and into the grass. Blake almost wanted to speak up, to tell her that there was something that she needed to say. the possibility of there being broken glass and cigarette butts on the ground which Weiss walked on occurred to Blake. "Besides, I don't get that much time away from my family here."

"Where do they think you are?"

"Most likely?" Weiss asked. "Probably in bed. Whitley and my mother don't tend to bother me after dinner. Or… ever, really."

"Is that the norm?"

"Sadly." Weiss whispered. "But I think that it's easier for us to stay so separate. I still haven't heard from my sister yet, but..."

"Right." Blake responded, thinking back on everything that she had ever learned about the elusive Winter Schnee. Two years before she had left the Schnee fortune in favor of a military career, something that she never would have needed to take on for any reason. If Winter Schnee wanted to, she probably could have gone ahead and left the military behind and gotten everything back, but...

Well, what she'd learned since her first contact with Weiss Schnee told her otherwise. Jacques Schnee was a vengeful man and had likely been quick to disinherit his eldest daughter at the first chance that he got.

It was late, Blake thought. She pushed herself up to her feet and stretched just slightly before turning slightly to face her motorcycle. If she stayed out too late then it was going to be hard getting things done come morning. The responsible thing to do was to grab the vehicle and let it lead her.

Blake paused, knowing that she needed to say something to Weiss. "I think I need to head back to my apartment for the night." Blake announced, calmly. "Do you want a ride back to your family's home?"

Weiss stared her down, and Blake just nodded in the direction of her motorcycle. "I know where it is. If you want a ride, speak now-"

Weiss shifted and turned slightly so that she could look at the motorcycle more clearly. Blake could practically see the gears turning in her head, and that wasn't a bad thing by any means. If anything, it just meant that she was going to have another in if things worked out the way that she thought it would.

"I think that a ride wouldn't hurt." Weiss said quietly. "Klein will have questions-"

"It'll be fine." Blake replied. "I can drop you off away from the front gates so that they don't see me."

"You think you can do that?" Weiss asked, slipping back into her shoes and standing up straight. Blake watched the woman stretch, arching her back just slightly. "Because-"

"It won't be a problem." Blake answered as she slipped into her jacket and looked over her bike. She only had one helmet, and it wasn't like it was a very long ride before she got to the Schnee manor. Nothing was going to go wrong, Blake was sure of it. Besides, she knew her way through the quieter parts of the city. "Just..."

Finally, Blake climbed on and pat the space on her seat behind her. "Climb on."

Weiss smiled and climbed onto the bike, reaching out and wrapping her arms around Blake's waist. Almost immediately Blake felt herself lock up with worry and stiffen, but it wasn't so easy for her to just ignore Weiss' presence at her back. There were still so many ways that things could go wrong and get worse.

Blake didn't think for a second that she was going to be able to get out of this unscathed on every front.

She shifted and passed the helmet back, hoping that it was going to be enough for Weiss.

"What-" Weiss asked, taking the helmet in hand. "Why are you-"

"Put it on." Blake commanded, keeping her voice and her expression cool. "I know you probably don't want to ruin your hair-"

Weiss' expression contorted into one of anger for just a moment, and Blake couldn't help but smirk. Instead of protesting though, Weiss picked her arms up and pulled her long hair down out of the ponytail that she was wearing so that it fell down her back.

Blake hadn't realized how long it was, and there was something in her that ached to reach out and brush her fingers through Weiss' hair, which looked much softer and silkier than her own was.

It would be, at the very least, grossly inappropriate.

Blake forced the urge back and turned, starting the engine on her bike once she was sure that Weiss was perfectly safe, and then began to speed off towards the Schnee Manor.

The entire time, she wasn't able to ignore the other woman's presence at her back. Even as she sped from road to road, Blake had Weiss there was a distraction that she couldn't just ignore.

When Blake was finally halfway to the Schnee Manor, she came to realize that the drive was a little bit longer than she'd originally thought.

At around midnight, Blake finally pulled up near the Schnee Manor gates. She was sure that she was probably picked up by some sort of security cameras. But she didn't say anything about it, just turned slightly and looked at Weiss, turning off the motorcycle.

"Is this good?" She asked, watching as Weiss climbed off and checked that she had her bearings about her. "Because-"

"It's perfect." Weiss replied, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Blake."

"It's no problem." Blake answered, stretching and taking her helmet from Weiss' hands once it was finally offered. "Get home safe."

Weiss paused, looking back at her and watching Blake with an expression on her face that Blake wasn't able to read. She just sighed and then put on a soft smile before taking the first few steps away from where Blake was waiting.

"You already got me there." Weiss said, pausing by the front gate and adjusting her balance in her shoes. "And I should be saying the same for you."

Blake scoffed, smiling behind her helmet. "Thanks." She laughed. "If you ever want to talk, you can-"

"Call, I know." Weiss replied, smiling. "Thank you, Blake."

"Thank you?"

"It was a nice night." Weiss said finally. "Considering."

"Yeah," Blake smirked. "Considering. Good night Weiss."

"Good night."

With that, Weiss finally disappeared back behind a pillar so that she could use the gate and Blake could only watch as she was left alone. Blake waited just long enough for Weiss to get through the gate before she finally started her bike, turned, and started on her way back across the city so that she could get some rest for herself.


	6. two snowflakes

Weiss didn't sleep well that night. Instead of being able to rest properly, she found herself tossing and turning and trying her absolute best to ignore the way that her heart was still pounding so hard in her chest that she could feel it. It felt like there was a roar of an engine that was still rushing through her body. If she closed her eyes, she might have even been able to smell gasoline.

The night before had been _strange_ , by the end of it. Weiss had come in expecting to just chew Blake out but...

Blake's apology had been so sincere. She'd been so patient with Weiss, and that was really what Weiss could ask for. Their conversation had seemed to drone on for hours, and for Weiss it had felt like a relief. She'd found catharsis, and Blake was a good listener.

Weiss didn't really know what she'd been looking for, after all. Mostly she'd wanted to let out some of her frustration and vent to someone that knew the full story. Or most of it, at the least.

And now Weiss wasn't able to stop thinking about the night before. The time spent at the waterfront with Blake had been pleasant, it had been comforting even. The fact that Blake had decided to drive her home had also been a surprise.

And on the back of that motorcycle with her hair down... Weiss had felt free, for a little bit. As soon as she'd gotten away from the restaurant and the wealth, that had happened.

There was a knock at the door, and Weiss looked over at the clock to see what time it was. Nearly eight. She'd managed to sleep in a little bit later than she would have normally. Because of that Weiss, was sure that this was going to be Klein at the door waiting for her.

"Who is it?" Weiss called, waiting for a response.

"Just Klein with your breakfast, dear." The soft voice called through the door. "May I come in?"

"You may." Weiss replied as she climbed out of bed and pulled a sweater on over her pajamas.

The door opened after a moment and Klein made his way in, pushing the door with his body as he approached her. "Good morning, Miss Schnee." He said, smiling softly at her as he closed the door behind him. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." Weiss said, doing her best to be reassuring. "What's for breakfast?"

"Crepes." Klein said, setting the tray down on the small table beside Weiss' bed. "I do hope that's to your liking?"

"With strawberries?"

"And hazelnut spread, as well as the powdered sugar on top." Klein said, taking a seat in the lone chair in the room. So he wasn't just there to drop off her breakfast, Weiss thought as she watched the man. That was interesting. However, it did tell her that he knew that she'd been late getting back in the night before. "Just like you like."

"Thank you, Klein." Weiss said, turning to grab at the silver tray and move it a little bit closer to her. "Is there something that you wanted to discuss?"

"A few things," He said calmly, smiling gently. "I was wondering where you were last night and I wanted to discuss your itinerary for today with you."

"Oh?" Weiss asked, turning her head just slightly to face Klein more directly now. "My itinerary?"

"Of course." Klein replied. "I was asked to retrieve your sister from the airport and I wanted to ask you whether or not you wanted to come along with me."

Weiss smiled and felt herself relax a little bit over it. She hadn't been expecting to hear anything from Winter at all, much less to hear about her arriving in the city. Weiss figured that her sister wasn't going to be allowed to stay at the manor, but that wasn't such a problem, was it? After all, Winter was living on free range these days, if she wanted to do something she could just do it.

It wasn't like she was still locked into their father's rules after so long.

"I would love to." Weiss said finally. "Thank you, Klein."

"I'll be sure to get you before we leave." He said finally, softening up as he watched Weiss cut into the side of her crepe with her fork. "Now, will you tell me where you were last night?"

Weiss thought fast. Despite the fact that Klein knew about Blake, Weiss didn't think that there was really a good way to approach the topic with him. There was no way to explain that she'd had dinner with the other woman the night before, or that it had been odd and pleasant all at once. The privacy of the manner meant a lot more than it should have, and that was something that Weiss was going to have spinning around in the back of her mind for a very long time.

"I... had dinner with someone." She said finally, looking away from Klein. He was going to be able to figure out whether or not she was lying, and Weiss knew that that made all of her efforts pointless, but she still felt like she needed to do or say something. "That's all."

"I see." Klein responded, raising a mischievous eyebrow. Already, he was able to see right through her. "And who would the lucky person be?"

Weiss felt a slight wave of relief. "Just someone that I went to school with." Weiss finally said, relaxing just slightly. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell anyone about it?'

"I wouldn't expect for you to." Klein answered, all too relaxed and all too calm. Weiss felt like she shouldn't have felt like she was made of glass over that, but Klein was giving her space. "And you got home without too much trouble?"

Weiss' memory snapped back to the night before and Blake's motorcycle, and how nice it had felt to be pressed up against the other woman. The wind in her hair and the cool night air. Blake's black hair.

She let out a quiet sigh. "They were able to bring me home." Weiss finally explained, glad that Klein wasn't choosing to pry too much. Weiss was certain that at that point Klein had managed to figure out everything that was going on, but he wasn't saying anything about it. "I hope I didn't make you worry."

"You're an adult, Weiss." Klein answered. "I'm just glad that you're fine."

Weiss looked down at her plate, and she began to feel the curl of guilt beginning to grow and wrap its way around her. Eventually what had gone on the night before was going to come to light, Weiss was sure of it. And she wasn't going to stop being afraid of what would happen once someone found out that she had been out with a woman that had more or less become public enemy number one to certain members of SchneeCorp.

"Thank you, Klein." Weiss said finally, relaxing slightly and letting herself relax against her headboard. "You won't judge me for sneaking out?"

Klein stared her down, his gaze much more intense than it strictly needed to be. There was clearly something stirring in the back of his mind, and Weiss wasn't able to get past the fact that she felt like she was under a microscope with him. "I think that you know what you're doing, Weiss." He said finally, his voice all too calm. "Eat your breakfast and try to be ready for one or so. I'll come and get you when it's time to go to the airport."

"Right." Weiss said, looking down at her plate. She was going to have a few hours before it was time to go, but for now she could try and enjoy herself to the best of her ability. "Thank you, Klein."

The man stood up and stretched just slightly before turning and beginning on the way over towards the door to her room. Weiss watched as Klein stopped, his hand hovering over the doorknob but him not letting himself continue onward. Klein turned to face her, his voice all too serious.

"You're sure that these are things you want to do, Weiss?" He was still on the topic of the night before, that much was clear. Weiss wished that she knew how to read into it. "Because if you spent your evening with who I think you did..."

Weiss blinked and felt her stomach flip. "Who do you think that I spent the evening with?"

"I think that you spent your night with someone, and that it wasn't a dinner. A reporter, perhaps?"

"You're talking about Blake Belladonna." Weiss answered, raising an eyebrow and staring the man down as he watched him closely. "Aren't you?"

"I am." Klein finally said, his voice dropping in volume and him beginning to smile just slightly. "Will you confirm it or deny it?"

And really, that was the moment of truth. Weiss knew that no matter what she was going to be able to rely on Klein to keep the secrets for her. He was good like that, and he had never gone ahead and broken her trust before. Even with pressure from her father, Klein had never done anything to put Weiss in a compromising position.

"Yes." Weiss finally said, keeping her tone cool and letting herself channel Blake for a moment. Blake, who never seemed to get overly emotional, Blake who always managed to keep a level head through everything. Blake, with her motorcycle and her calm, and her way of talking that somehow managed to feel like someone was trying to rip her apart. "I was with Blake Belladonna."

"And was it just a dinner?"

Weiss thought back to the night before, and she felt the sudden urge to over examine everything that the two of them had discussed the night before because that was what made the most sense for her to do. Everything that she and Blake had done, every word that the two of them had said to each other.

It had never been about the meal. It had been a mere business meeting that had managed to cross a few lines before the end of it all. And Weiss was comfortable in that fact. It was a role that she wasn't going to let herself ignore so easily.

"No." She said finally. "Blake just offered to bring me home once it was all over instead of having me call you to get me."

Klein nodded slowly, his expression softening as he smiled. "Of course." He said finally. "I'll see you at two, Weiss." He said finally as he slipped out the door because it was for the best to leave Weiss to her own devices.

Weiss knew that there had to be something that she could do to make herself useful or at the very least bring herself some entertainment. With the bulk of her day now planned out, Weiss decided that the best she could do was sit down, have her breakfast, and prepare for a day of seeing her sister.

Whatever that might end up entailing. If Weiss knew what it would mean, then she would have gladly played along with whatever Winter might end up wanting. There was at least a part of her that was expecting to be dragged down to the hospital so that they could check in on their father, and after that Weiss wasn't sure. It was probably going to depend on how long Winter was allowed to be around their father.

Something in the back of Weiss' mind suggested to her that she should do her best to reach out to Blake and see whether or not Winter would be willing to interview. Weiss didn't know exactly _why_ that particular idea came to her, but that didn't make her opposed to it by any means. It was just strange and unfamiliar.

The morning ticked by easily enough, and Weiss took her time getting dressed. She was about to head out of her room so that she could get herself a drink of water when she heard the sound of her phone going off with a quiet ding. The sound was enough to make her heart jump in her chest, and Weiss stopped at the door with her hand hovering over it.

Maybe, Weiss thought, that was going to be news from the hospital or from her brother or mother. Maybe it would be Coco or Neptune looking to check in on her to see how she was doing. Maybe it could be...

Weiss didn't let herself follow up on the thought. Instead, she stepped away from the door and made her way over to the bedside table where she'd left her phone behind. She picked it up carefully and turned it over so that he could take a look at the message that was being displayed.

Blake.

She knew that she shouldn't have clicked on the message and went along to find out what it was all about, but Weiss wasn't able to help herself when it came down to it.

The message that the reporter had sent her was short, just an assurance that she'd gotten home safe and that she was glad to have spent the night together. Weiss felt her heart tighten in her chest just slightly, unsure of what to respond with. Oh, the night had been so nice once the difficult business had been over with, but now wasn't the time that she should have been talking to Blake.

But she couldn't leave her hanging, could she?

Weiss grimaced and hesitated, trying to figure out what to say before finally settling on a fairly generic response. A thanks for the time and for the ride home. That would suffice.

The phone landed on Weiss' bed as she made her way out of the room and went down to the kitchen. It was 1:30. She could come back up to get the phone just before it was time to leave. For now, all that Weiss really wanted was the chance to relax away from those worries.

It was going to be a good day, Weiss reminded herself. She and Klein were going to go and get Winter, and then they would probably go out for dinner after once everything was said and done. They'd go to the hospital long enough to prove that they'd gone, and then the rest of the day was going to belong to Weiss and her older sister.

Maybe if she got lucky she was going to be able to go to Winter's hotel and even spend the night there. That would be so nice. Being around the mansion was far from comfortable, even when she'd grown up there.

Klein was already in the kitchen, talking to a few of the other members of the kitchen staff when Weiss finally arrived. She paused, because normally she wouldn't have made an approach when there were others in the kitchen, but in that moment she wanted to see Klein.

Weiss knocked her knuckles against the door frame in the same way that she always would.

Klein picked his head up and looked over at her, smiling. "Miss Schnee!" he called, and when Weiss offered her empty tray he took it without a single question about it. "Is everything quite alright?"

"It is." Weiss answered, smiling up at the man. "I just wanted to make sure that you got your tray back."

"Of course." Klein answered, moving it over to the sink so that he could set everything down so that it could be cleaned up later on. "I suppose that you're ready to head out for the day if you've come down here?"

It was a coded message, and Weiss didn't let herself smile too much because it was for the best that Weiss was able to keep secrets between herself and Klein. It was a known factor between herself and Klein that they needed to keep things secrets from the other members of the staff. Klein would never tell on her, but the others wouldn't give that luxury. They were known to talk.

"I am." Weiss said finally, standing up tall and smiling. "I expect that it's going to be a long one."

"Of course." Klein answered. "I wouldn't want to keep you, Miss Schnee. If you need a ride, then you know that you are free to ask me to drive you along."

And that was the thing that Weiss needed to here. That was the ultimate affirmation that the two of them were going to be able to make this all work. The cover was established, and that was the single most important thing that she had.

"I'll keep that in mind." Weiss said, turning and stepping back into the doorway so that she could finally make her exit. "Thank you, Klein."

"Of course, Miss Schnee."

With that she left, making a beeline up to her room so that she could get her phone. It was going to be only a little while longer before she was finally going to be able leave for the day. Once that was done, then Weis would be able to make anything else work from there.

The wait that passed before Weiss could be confident in what she was doing was short. All that she had to do was dress herself, get her phone (and Weiss made a point to ignore any messages, if only because this was about going to see Winter and anything else shouldn't have been a priority in that time.)

Nearly ten minutes after she'd finished speaking to Klein Weiss finally went back down to the kitchen to request his skills. He was able to smile and get out, and then the two of them were out of the Schnee manor and on their way to the airport.

Weiss felt a little bit like she'd managed to be holding her breath the entire time before Klein finally spoke and broke through the quiet.

"I suspect she'll be glad to see you," He said, creating idle conversation for the sake of doing so. Weiss was glad that Klein was taking that sort of initiative. Despite everything, Weiss couldn't quite find it in herself to start.

"I hope so." Weiss replied with a quiet sigh before turning her head to look over at the butler properly. He was sitting there in the front seat, attentive to the road as ever and looking mostly disinterested with it. But Weiss figured that she couldn't go expecting for him to be able to focus on her entirely. "It's been so long since..."

"I know, Weiss." Klein said, keeping his voice as gentle as he could manage. "I suppose that I should let you know that I haven't made her aware of your presence."

And if there was absolutely anything about this that was interesting, Weiss figured it was that. Why wouldn't Klein tell Winter that sort of thing? Normally it wasn't something that he would have just glazed over or ignored. Sure, Klein had other things to be focused on and worrying about, but for Weiss the prospect of seeing Winter without being a known factor was a little bit worrying.

Surprises had the potential to be a pain more than it did anything else.

"Oh." Weiss said, shifting slightly and stretching to try and making herself more comfortable in her seat. "Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"I'm positive." Klein replied. "I don't think that you should be worrying about this too much, Weiss. It'll go well, for now just try and relax until we finally get to the airport."

Weiss let out a quiet sigh, because while that really wasn't what she wanted to hear, it was more or less the fat that she had no choice but to resign herself to. "Yes, Klein." She said finally, leaning into her seat and letting her gaze drift out the window where the city was passing them by.

After that, Weiss found that it was easy enough to fall into her own thoughts. She would check her phone once in awhile, but didn't find much there. Blake hadn't sent her any replies by the looks of things, and Weiss was glad for that. The absolute last thing that she needed was for the reporter to create more for her to worry about.

Quiet was going to be an absolute blessing later on, Weiss was sure of it.

The two of them finally pulled up in front of the airport, and Weiss hated that it was something that felt so painfully familiar. Normally she would have gone ahead and she would have begun preparing herself so that she could get out and head inside. After that, she would normally have been taking a ride out of the city and everything would have been fine.

She would be free.

Weiss hated how much that made her heart ache when she thought about it. Instead of flying back to Vale where her freedom from her family was, she found herself here, craning her neck and looking for her older sister.

When Weiss didn't see any sign of Winter outside, she sighed heavily and looked back over at Klein, who was parking their car and getting ready to get out for himself. "Do you know when she'll be arriving?"

"It should be a few minutes." Klein said, adjusting his coat and climbing out of the car. Weiss frowned and joined him, even though all logic and everything that she'd ever done strictly dictated that she shouldn't have been doing anything like that. She should have been listening to old rule that had been passed down by her mother and father both (although these things mostly tended to come from her father) and she should have stayed seated in the car and out of the view. "I can assure you that it won't be too long."

"I know." Weiss sighed. It wasn't the time of year where they had to be worrying about flights getting cancelled or delayed constantly. If something was wrong, it had nothing to do with weather. And if that was the case, Weiss was certain that Winter would have called Klein ahead of time to alert the man to that fact. "I just don't like the wait."

Klein gave her a sympathetic look, the one that Weiss had learned often translated to "I'll be sure to get you hot chocolate later." But he said nothing, and that was for the better. Klein leaned back against the car, and Weiss joined him soon enough.

The two of them didn't talk all that much while they waited, and Weiss very much preferred it that way. Even though Weiss was spending so much of her time around with Blake, the prospect of photographers and people looking out to learn about her were something that Weiss couldn't stand. The public view was just something that she didn't like to deal with.

Finally, after several minutes of just standing there outside, the door to the airport opened, with a family streaming out, and they were followed by a couple of people. Weiss craned her neck, searching for her sister and when she finally caught sight of Winter's long white hair in it all her heart jumped in her chest.

If she were anywhere but Atlas, Weiss would have been able to call out to her. She would have been able to do something to get Winter's attention.

But Atlas wasn't like the rest of the world. It was a city that demanded propriety, especially when her family practically owned half of it.

Winter looked up from her phone, her expression serious and Weiss watched as her gaze fell on Klein, and then on Weiss. Nothing could have possibly made Weiss feel happier about it than the way that her older sister's expression turned into a bright smile and the way that her sister began to approach them just a little bit faster.

"Winter!" Weiss called quietly when Winter was finally within a few feet of her. A part of her wanted to jump straight to questions so that she could find out what her sister was up to normally, but Weiss also expected that Winter wasn't going to actually go ahead and tell her anything.

"Weiss." Winter greeted her, opening her arms up so that Weiss could step into her touch and pull her in close. Being able to be close to her sister like that was such a relief, and Weiss couldn't exactly think of many times where she'd ever felt happier to be with a member of her family.

But of course, when it came to Winter, it had been a very long time since they had been together.

"I missed you." Weiss said, smiling softly as she squeezed her older sister just slightly before stepping away from her and giving Winter some space. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I was coming."

"It's fine." Winter replied, stepping away but still keeping her hands on Weiss' shoulders as she looked her up and down. Weiss figured that Winter was just taking the chance to size her up and figure out how much had changed since their last time being in direct contact with each other. "Do the others know?"

"No." Weiss admitted, sighing. "Klein-"

"I have only told your sister about your presence." The driver spoke up, standing up as tall as he could and with his hands laced together behind his back as was proper. "I figured that you wouldn't want to cause too much of a commission with your family."

Winter nodded slowly and smiled. "That's correct." She said finally with a too heavy sigh. "Thank you, Klein. I'll forever be in your debt."

"I expected as much." Klein said as he stepped in towards Winter and offered her his hands. She understood what he wanted, stepping in for a hug for him before the two of them transferred it into a very clean trade off of contact and Winter's luggage. Klein made his way to the back of the car, and Weiss just was content to stand there side by side with Winter for a moment. Klein, however, decided to keep on talking. "I don't know that you'll want to go to the hospital to see how your father is doing-"

"I would rather not." Winter admitted, frowning. "As much as it hurts and how bad as it is, I don't think that I want to risk being there if he might wake up."

"We understand." Weiss said, blinking. Really, there wasn't anything else that she could have expected from this. The situation wasn't a great one, but it was what it was. "I'm just so glad to be able to see you."

"I'm glad to be here too." Winter admitted as the two of them finally began to climb into the car so that they could get going for the day. "It's been... stressful at work with everything taken into consideration. The general arrived with me but he was sure to assure me that he would be fine in the city..."

"Of course." Weiss said, shifting slightly and feeling honestly rather surprised by the fact that Winter's line of work had been brought up at all. Normally it was a topic that they wouldn't even begin to imagine touching, and things were honestly better off that way. The chance to open Winter up for trouble was never something that they really relished in. "I'm glad to have you here."

"I wish that I'd known you were coming in." Winter said, turning so that she could face Weiss much more directly after that. "I would have tried to get away sooner if I had."

And just like that, they were away from that topic and they were back onto things that Weiss could actually address and deal with. "It's okay." She said finally, sighing and knitting her fingers together in her lap. "To be truthful, I haven't really seen all that many people here in Atlas, and mother and Whitley have been..." She paused, because what word was there that she could really use to explain the situation? All that she could really do is try and explain that their family had been keeping their distance from her as much as they could have.

And Weiss didn't want to get into what that could mean. There were too many troubling implications, too many things that she needed to worry about when it came to her family. "They've been distant." She said finally, looking up into her sister's eyes properly. "I've been in to see father a few times but he's never been awake while I was there."

Winter was staring at her, and Weiss knew that was something that she probably should have expected on some level. There was truly no delicate way to approach any of it, and Weiss was sure that Winter knew that just as well as she did. She looked forward to the front seat at Klein, who said nothing but nodded to give his confirmation that what Weiss was saying was in fact correct.

The woman nodded in understanding before locking her gaze back onto Weiss. "I wish that I could honestly say that I was surprised."

"Me too." Weiss admitted, trying not to let herself sound anywhere near as bitter as she felt. "It's been pretty lonely here."

"I'm sorry." Winter said, reaching over and placing a gentle hand on Weiss' knee. Loving and comforting, just as always. "How have you been handling it?"

Weiss froze up, trying to find a good way to explain the situation that she had managed to find herself in ever since this had started. She could claim that she had friends in the city, but Weiss was also sure that Winter was going to be able to see right past it. Weiss had left Atlas partially because it had been too hard to get away from their family name and between them that was no secret.

She supposed that it wouldn't have been too bad of an idea to claim that she'd made new friends. Perhaps that was believable? Or maybe she should have just told her sister the truth about the fact that she was spending her time with a reporter that had formerly made their lives very difficult.

And the future of how that was going to go was still something that remained very much up in the air, and Weiss was all too aware of that fact.

But she needed to say something- out of everything, Weiss was confident in that fact.

So she took a deep breath and allowed herself to speak up. "I've been spending a lot of time on my own, I'm afraid." She began, keeping her voice down like she needed to hide what she was saying from someone despite the fact that nobody was there that could overhear her and turn it into a threat of some sort. "A lot of time alone in my room."

Winter raised an eyebrow, staring Weiss down, and that didn't manage to make her feel any better about it. It seemed like her sister was already able to see through what she had claimed, and Weiss really didn't like that fact.

Weiss wanted to squirm away from the others so that they didn't have any way to pry into her matters any deeper, but she allowed herself to speak up. "I mean, I have some friends here in the city and so I've been able to spend time with them. A lot of going out for dinner."

From the front seat of the car, Klein snorted in amusement, and Weiss felt her face beginning to get hot. "That's one way to say it, I suppose." The man said with a soft smile. He was teasing her, and Weiss balled her hands up in her laps and tried to stay calm.

Weiss knew that her face went completely red at the comment though. She knew that she couldn't do anything to avoid her awkwardness or the topic. Regardless of what had been going on between herself and Blake, she had absolutely no way of getting past all of it. She was embarrassed and nervous, and how was she supposed to be able to talk at all.

The woman shot an almost panicked look to her sister and then back to Klein, her mouth dropping open as she did everything in her power to collect her thoughts and find a way to talk to them. That's all that she needed to do. Definitely not think about the fact that she could feel her phone vibrating against her leg.

Probably with a message from Blake.

"It wasn't-" Weiss began to protest, leaning forward just slightly despite the fact that she knew that it wasn't going to be able to make her situation any less conspicuous. The blush wasn't going away. "It was just a dinner between... friends."

Friends really wasn't a word that Weiss thought that she would have used to refer to Blake normally, but for the time being it could fit. That said, she didn't think that Winter and Klein were going to be able to ignore her at all.

"Of course, Weiss." Klein said, staring forward at the road. "Whatever you say, my dear."

Weiss looked over at Winter, and while Winter looked a little bit curious but didn't seem to want to go ahead and ask the question about it at all. "I'm telling the truth." Weiss said, hoping that her sister would listen to her. "The two of us just went out and we had dinner because it felt right."

"I believe you." Winter said finally, smiling at Weiss with a look that Weiss could have absolutely described as being 'knowing' if she wanted to. "If you insist that it was just a dinner, then I have no reason to doubt you about it."

"Thank you, Winter." Weiss sighed, turning away and looking out the window to try and figure out what she should do next and what she should bring up. A thought came to her, and she finally looked over at her sister again. "Where will you be staying while you're here in Atlas?"

"I've been booked at a hotel." Winter said matter of factly. "It's on the opposite end of the city from the manor, but I don't think that's such a bad thing."

"Oh." Weiss said, feeling a little bit dejected, if only because she didn't really have a way to get around when she was in Atlas aside from getting Klein to drive her. It didn't make for the best look, and it was all too easy for people to look at her and get the wrong idea about what she was doing. Especially when Klein was usually needed around the manor when Weiss wanted to be out on the town. "I don't think that's so bad either."

"It's not." Winter said with a quiet sigh. "I'm sure that you and I will be able to find plenty of time to spent together while we're both here."

"How long will you be staying?" Weiss asked, blinking up at her older sister. "I think I'm going to be here for as long as I need to be. Until we know what's going on with the company and father at least."

Winter seemed to hesitate, and Weiss looked over at her older sister to see that Winter had decided to look out her own window. A part of Weiss was sure that Winter missed being able to spend her time in Atlas. Regardless of what had happened to their family, at the end of the day, it was still *home.*

Weiss liked to think that Winter thought of the city in the same way, at least on some small level.

"I'll only be in Atlas for the week by the looks of things." Winter finally responded, sighing and picking up a hand so that she could brush her white hair out of her face. "I'm sure that's not what you wanted to hear."

"It isn't." Weiss said with a quiet sigh. "But I can't pretend that I was expecting much more than that. I'm just glad that you're here, really."

"I feel the same way." Winter admitted finally, with a gentle smile that Weiss couldn't ignore. It made her feel like there was a certain sort of warmth building up in her chest. For now, she was just going to have to cling to her sister's presence and when it all fell apart, Weiss would be ready for it.

The rest of the drive across Atlas didn't take too long, and Klein was happy to escort them both into the hotel that Winter had booked the night in. Soon enough they were checking in and in Winter's room that would be serving as her home for the night.

Klein left Weiss and Winter alone, heading back to the mansion for the rest of the night.

And Weiss was just glad to have her time with her sister for as long as she could get it.

Even if it meant that she was spending a lot of time ignoring her phone in her pocket.

* * *

A few days had managed to pass since Blake had last heard from Weiss Schnee in a business capacity. As she understood it, the heiress' older sister was in the city now, and without anything to report on with regards to Jacques Schnee, they hadn't had many reasons to talk.

It made things frustrating, and left her feeling a little bit more than annoyed with the situation, but Blake was getting by.

Sometimes no news was the best news. It meant that she got to take some time off.

In Blake's case, time off meant that she was able to spend her time at the mall with some of her friends and away from work.

"Blake!" Yang called at her side, trying to catch her attention while the two of them stood in line for coffee. "Earth to Blake."

Blake peeled her eyes away from the magazine rack that stood at their side to look back over at Yang. "What?"

"Just trying to get your attention." Yang said with a shrug as she stretched her arms over her head. "And you know, get you off of thinking about work."

This was something that was a little too common in her life for Blake's liking, but at the same time, she appreciated it. Yang was there to keep her honest, and had never really failed her in the past.

"Right." Blake sighed, turning slightly so that she could face Yang now. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Yang answered as the two of them stepped up to the front of the line so that they could make their orders. "I just wanted to know how up you were for a movie or something like that later. You, me, Ruby, whoever else we decide to invite along."

It wasn't a terrible suggestion, Blake thought as she took the moment so that she could evaluate her feelings on it all. Going out with friends was never such a bad idea, and usually she wouldn't be called away for work.

"It doesn't sound terri-" Blake cut herself off so that she could place her coffee order, and once it was all over and done with, she and Yang were about to head to one of the tables when the door to the coffee shop opened.

When Blake first saw the two white bobs of hair, her first instinct had told her that it was just a couple of people with some particularly convincing dye jobs.

She knew that Yang saw her do a double take, and the way that Yang tried to catch her attention when she realized that she'd once again lost Blake's attention said everything that needed to be said.

"Blake?" Yang called. "What's-"

Blake swallowed and didn't look over at Yang for a moment as it registered to her that she was looking at not one of the daughters of Jacques Schnee, but two of them.

And Weiss didn't seem to have even the slightest idea as to the fact that she was present.

Blake swallowed and looked back over at Yang. "I need to do something." She said quickly as she pushed herself away from the table. "Sorry."

"Blake, don't you-"

This was going to be something that she would regret later, Blake was sure of it, but she also didn't think that she actually cared about it all that much. She sighed and stood up tall as she walked over to where Weiss was standing side by side with her sister.

"Weiss." Blake said, bringing up her voice just enough to catch the heiress' attention.

Almost immediately, Weiss' eyes snapped over to her.

Blake watched as Weiss looked back at her sister, hesitating for a long moment before beginning on her way over towards where Blake was standing.


	7. atlesian grand

Blake sat across from the Schnee sisters, with Yang at her side and not at all very sure about how she'd managed to end up at a table with all three of them. Usually when it came to work, she would have asked for Yang to leave, but now…

Well, she wasn't sure how it had happened, especially when she considered her already existing reputation that she held with the Schnee family. For Weiss to welcome her was one thing, for another Schnee was something else.

And to make things more awkward, _she wasn't alone._

It left her completely unsure as to what she was supposed to do or say.

"So." Weiss said, stirring her coffee with her spoon and staring Blake down. "You said that you wanted to talk to us?"

"I did." Blake said, turning in her seat just slightly by looking over at Weiss. She did her best to ignore the way that Winter Schnee was staring her down and looking entirely unhappy with the situation. Blake was surprised that Winter had even agreed to this meeting. She was even more surprised that Yang was still there. "I figured that I could ask you both some questions."

"We understood that." Winter responded in an unamused sort of deadpan. "But you are yet to explain what you want to do with us."

"I'm sorry for that." Blake replied, since it was obvious that there was something else that she needed to do or say. "My name is Blake Belladonna. I'm a reporter with-"

"The Fang." Winter finished, her expression wholly unamused. "I expect that you've come to wheedle your way into all of our family's business."

"Winter-" Weiss started, leaning in slightly and staring at her sister in disbelief. "Blake isn't that bad. She just wants-"

"To tell the truth." Blake cut Weiss off, finishing the sentence for herself because if she was going to be explaining herself to Winter, she needed to be able to do it herself. "I can assure you that I'm just trying to keep the public informed on your family's company."

"By smearing us, no doubt."

"No." Blake sighed. "While there are still obvious issues, I'm just looking to give a clear picture of what will happen if-"

"If our father dies." Winter deadpanned. Her eyes- darker blue and more muted than Weiss' were narrowed dangerously. "Yes, we know."

And really, there wasn't that much that Blake could do to deny that charge. In fact, it was completely accurate, as poor as the whole thing sounded. She sighed and looked down into her own drink. Of course, there were no answers to be found there.

"Yes." Blake responded after a moment. "I was hoping that I could get some more up to date information with regard to his condition, and that I would be able to get your perspective on things, if possible."

Weiss and Winter exchanged a look, like the two of them were trying to communicate something between the silently. Blake could partially imagine what the conversation had to be about, but she also didn't want to be the one to go ahead and pry on the topic.

It wasn't really her place to do that, after all.

Winter snapped her gaze back over to Blake. "Would you mind giving us a moment to speak?"

"Of course not." Blake replied. If anything, Winter and Weiss slipping away for a few minutes meant that she was going to have a chance to really figure out what she wanted to ask the older sister while she still had a chance to. She was sure that Weiss would remain at least somewhat accessible in the future.

She watched as Weiss and Winter slipped out of her line of sight and reached for her phone to check that she had everything she needed. Sure enough, there was her notepad and pen tucked away in her pocket, and her phone was there in case she ended up needing to record something.

That was all that she needed. Blake was sure of it.

She looked over at Yang and sighed. "I think you should probably go." She explained calmly. "I don't know that…" Blake's eyes flicked back over to the Schnee sisters. "If this is a good idea."

Yang nodded and picked her head up, craning her neck to get a good look for herself at where the Schnees had walked off to. Yang sighed and pushed her yellow hair out of her face before getting up. "Yeah, you're probably right." She said, looking down at her drink and frowning. "I'll see you later, right?"

"Of course." Blake replied. "I'll find you. Just… Soon."

Yang clicked her tongue. "Alright." She said as she stretched and began to make her way out. "See you."

"Right." Blake murmured as she watched Yang leave.

After that, Blake waited for a few more minutes before the sisters came back to talk to her again. She took every chance that she was there to write down the questions that came to her mind first that would be worth asking.

Winter was going to be hard to deal with. While asking about her apparent estrangement from the Schnee family would ultimately be the holy grail as for as questioning went, Blake didn't think that she was going to be able to actually get an answer to that question.

Blake checked her phone and saw that the sisters had been gone for two minutes. That couldn't have possibly been good.

The sound of Weiss and Winter re-seating themselves across from her was all that Blake needed to snap her back to attention. Blake stared between the two of them and found that neither looked happy.

Something had been said, and Blake didn't exactly want to know what had been aid.

"Welcome back." She greeted the two sisters because that was going to be her best opportunity to get back in good with them. "Have you come to a decision?"

"We have." Weiss confirmed, sitting up tall with her back straight. "But if we're going to talk, it'll need to be done in a more secure location."

Secure location? That wasn't something that Blake had really been considering. In theory it meant that she was going to be stuck interviewing in a car- which was suboptimal at best, or she'd be dragged to a place of the sister's choices. Blake knew perfectly well that she wasn't going to be welcome at the Schnee Manor.

That was obvious.

"I'm willing to do that." Blake said, her eyes flicking between the two sisters. "But I'll have to leave it to you to select a place for that."

"We already have." Winter answered, sitting up tall and managing to stare down at Blake down her nose despite the fact that they were the same height. "I have a hotel room in the city that we can use."

Blake blinked, because if there was anything that she hadn't been expecting, that was probably it. Despite the fact that Winter had been more or less disowned, there had been a part of Blake that had been expecting to learn that she was still staying at the Schnee Manor.

So the reporter did her best to hide her surprise from the sisters. "I can meet you there if you would prefer that."

The hesitation wasn't something that Blake could say that she wasn't expecting from the sisters. Of course, the two of them were coming to her looking to get an upper hand if they would interview. Blake was going to be able to work with anything, but this had the chance to seriously end up out of her favor.

Blake really didn't want to think that Weiss would do that to her, but in that moment she couldn't be too confident in much of anything.

Blake knew that. She was fully prepared for whatever was to gome.

Weiss and Winter exchanged a look, both trying to find words for something before Weiss took control and looked back to Blake.

"Do you think that you could meet us tonight?" She asked quietly. "We can send you the information for the hotel, but it would really be best if we did everything later."

And that wasn't such a bad request, Blake thought. To go out that night, there was the chance that Blake would end up frustrating Yang or Ruby, but this was probably going to be one of the most important nights of her life.

Blake had absolutely no intentions to let that slide by.

"I can do that." Blake replied with a slight shrug. "I hope that you'll be willing to answer questions for me, though."

"We will be." Winter said, her voice hard as ever. "But we reserve the right not to answer should we find a question inappropriate."

"Of course." Blake responded. That was expected, at least on some level. "I can also do whatever I can to ensure your anonymity."

"In addition-" Winter began, leaning in slightly. "I want for us to have our driver Klein present for this meeting."

Normally, that was something would have set off alarms in Blake's mind. However, the fact of the matter was that she not only knew Klein Sieben (who Blake had to assume they were talking about. It wasn't exactly a common name,) but also had actually talked to him in the past. If anything, it meant that she wasn't being placed in a situation that was meant to destroy her.

That was all that she really needed, in the end.

"Okay." Blake breathed with a slight nod. "I can meet you tonight."

"Very well." Winter said, standing up and standing tall, still looking down at Blake in a way that Blake really didn't like. It felt too condescending, in so many ways that she couldn't stand. Winter and Weiss both had wealth and class on their sides, but that didn't make them any better than Blake. She had absolutely no intentions to let them think that they were above her.

Weiss looked at her sister, then at Blake in an almost apologetic way. She stood up herself, sipping her drink. "Winter?" She said quietly. "Do you mind if I catch up with you in a moment?"

"No." Winter responded, her gaze flickering between Blake and Weiss before she made off on her own.

Blake stood up and tucked her things back away in her jacket before letting herself fall into place next to Weiss. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry." Weiss said quietly, looking Blake in the eyes. For the first time, Blake realized that Weiss had lovely light blue eyes. Somehow that was something that had never registered in her mind before. She liked them. "About her."

"It's quite alright." Blake answered, putting on a soft smile for the heiress. "Did you talk her into talking with me?"

"A little bit." Weiss admitted, smiling meekly. "I'd like to be able to talk to you a little bit later if I can, though."

"Of course." Blake said, checking that her phone was in her pocket. If the two of them were going to talk privately later, then it was going to be massively important. After all, it was the best way for her and Weiss to get in contact. "If you need me, you can call me."

Weiss nodded, reaching up and brushing her bangs away from her face almost nervously. "Of course." She took the first step away, looking over at the area where Winter had walked off in. "So I'll see you tonight?"

Blake wanted to read into that and make it feel like Weiss was asking her so much more than she really was. She schooled her expression into calm, smiled, and shrugged. "I guess you will."

"Right." Weiss took a few more steps away. "I'll see you later tonight."

And with that, Blake watched as Weiss moved out of her direct line of sight and fell into place beside her old sister. The two of them seemed to exchange a few words, and then Weiss and Winter Schnee were off to finish what else they had been up to that day.

Blake knew that her gaze lingered for a little bit too long, but she was soon to turn away so that she could to figuring out where Yang had wandered off to.

It didn't take too long, and when the two of them were gathered back together, Blake did her best to deflect any questions before they could become a problem.

* * *

"So tell me about this Blake Belladonna." Winter asked as she sat in the chair on the other side of the hotel room. Most of the day had been long and exhausting, and Weiss was glad that she was finally able to calm down and relax with her older sister.

Between seeing Blake, and going in the check on their father, it had been hard. Weiss had needed to also slip off to the manner for dinner with Whitley and her mother, but that hadn't been such a big problem. Now that she was there with Winter it should have been a chance to unwind.

But they were supposed to have a meeting with Blake that night, and that was huge.

And really, Weiss didn't fully know how she felt about that. It wasn't as though Blake was going to show up in her leather jacket and probably on a motorcycle that night or anything.

It wasn't as though Weiss hadn't caught herself daydreaming about the reporting once or twice earlier in that day.

And really, she didn't know what was _wrong_ with her. All that she knew was that she wanted to talk to Blake again when she got the chance.

Preferably one on one.

"What do you want to know about Blake?" Weiss asked, blinking and turning to face her sister instead of looking out the window. Blake was going to be coming soon, but standing there and waiting by the window wasn't going to make her arrive any faster.

Winter was sitting on the bed, her bag unzipped next to her as she took the chance to remove some things from it that she wanted. Everything within was folded and kept immaculately well. She was also watching Weiss expectantly.

"I ran into her at the airport." Weiss answered truthfully, leaning against the wall and letting her fingertips brush against it. "When I arrived back in Atlas, she was there waiting for me to arrive. Klein said that he knew her, and..."

"So you just _agreed_ to speak to her?"

"Not exactly, Winter." Klein said, stepping into the room with a tray of coffee cups in his hands. They'd sent him out several minutes earlier to make sure that they would have something to enjoy, and seemed to have been glad to fulfill that. "Weiss initially rejected the request for an interview."

"You did?" Winter asked, focusing back on her little sister. "I can't say that I expected that."

"I don't think that I wouldn't have called her without a good reason for it." Weiss said, holding her expression still before she took a few steps forward before seating herself on the bed next to her older sister. "She just wanted to know about father."

Winter stared her down and let out a quiet sigh. "Am I correct in assuming that the two of you haven't _only_ discussed father?"

And really, Weiss knew that there was no good way that she was going to be able to go about denying that. It was a claim that she couldn't hope others would end up seeing past. She pursed her lips and sighed heavily before finally giving an explanation.

"That's correct." Weiss finally said, keeping her head down and trying to ignore the way that her sister was able to stare through her. "I didn't tell her about you."

"Does she know anything about me?" Winter asked. "I want to know what i'm going to have to expect when she arrives."

And that was something that Weiss couldn't really give an answer to. It was true that her sister's status was somewhat of a dirty secret, but it was also public knowledge.

It was just that the public didn't know all of the specifics, and Weiss was beyond glad for that because of what the public knowing more would ultimately mean. But Blake...

Blake wasn't a _part_ of the general public. She had contacts within the Schnee Dust Company, and had even spoken to Klein before. Weiss had never said anything beyond what was publicly known, but Klein...

He passed the two cups of coffee that he'd gotten them to both of the sisters, and as soon as he was done he removed his own drink and stood up tall. Weiss and Klein exchanged a look, and when Klein only looked calm, Weiss was sure that she knew.

"I don't believe so." Weiss finally gave an answer for her sister. "Blake really isn't that bad."

Winter stared Weiss down, searching for something in her expression. Whatever it was, Weiss didn't think that she'd managed to find it. "Very well. If she doesn't know the whole story then that is a good thing."

"Right." Weiss sighed. Outside, she was able to make out the sound of the roar of a motorcycle's engine. It was entirely possible that it meant nothing. Plenty of people in the world drove such vehicles.

Including Blake.

The feeling of Weiss' phone vibrating made her heart jump in her chest nonetheless.

Blake had arrived.

Weiss looked at Klein and opened her mouth to ask him to go down and get Blake, but stopped herself before she could speak. Maybe it was for the best if she went down and talked to Blake herself. Directly.

"Excuse me for a minute." Weiss requested, standing up and stretching slightly before heading to the door. "I can stall her to make sure that the room is as you want it."

"Of course." Winter said, standing up and shoving one or two things back into her bag almost aggressively. Weiss didn't allow herself to linger for a second too long before leaving the room and heading to the elevator, and then down to the lobby where she was supposed to meet Blake.

Sure enough, Blake was there. She hadn't bothered to change into anything more formal than what she had been wearing earlier that day, and Weiss didn't know how that was going to go. Maybe Blake hadn't wanted to risk ruining her nicer clothes when she was going to be riding her motorcycle that night?

"Blake." Weiss greeted her, standing tall by the elevators with her hands clasped behind her back. "You made it."

"I did." Blake said, cocking a smile and reaching up to unzip her jacket as she advanced on Weiss. "I hope I'm not running late."

"You aren't." Weiss replied, resisting the urge to take the chance to rock back and forth on her heels. She needed to keep up appearances, especially now. "We'll talk on the way up."

Blake understood, and soon enough the two of them were packing into an elevator and closing the door behind them. Weiss stood against the wall, giving a respectful amount of space between herself and Blake.

She needed to say something.

"Winter needs a minute to clean her room up a little bit, and then she should be ready." Weiss explained calmly. "Klein is there with her, but..."

She shook her head. "Blake, how much do you know about my sister?"

"The normal things." Blake responded, raising an eyebrow. "Name, age, date of birth, place of employment. I know that she's been removed from the line of succession for SchneeCorp, and can only assume it's because of her leaving for the military."

"And nothing else?" Weiss asked, leaning in towards Blake slightly. "Because I don't know what we're going to end up talking about in there, but there are things that she won't touch." Weiss hesitated. "And I won't address them either."

"I understand." Blake murmured as she reached for her pockets to remove some of the things that she needed. "You both have the power to refuse a question if I ask one that you can't answer."

"Of course." Weiss said, pausing. There was so much that she should have gone ahead and said to explain herself. Of course, Blake probably had been able to assume so much of it. Blake probably was running on the assumption that loss of anonymity would mean that Weiss' position would be lost, or that it would worsen things with regards to Winter.

But still, Weiss had to wonder.

An awkward quiet fell over the elevator, and Weiss needed to think of something to say to her... friend? Acquaintance? She wasn't quite sure what Blake really was to her.

Did it really matter that much?

"Thank you, Blake." Weiss finally sighed. "For being willing to work with our demands."

Blake stared her down, something unreadable on her face that Weiss wasn't sure that she wanted to be able to identify. Somehow that felt too dangerous, and Weiss wasn't quite sure why. Why would Blake looking at her feel dangerous? Especially over something as simple as thanks.

But Blake's response was a surprise nonetheless, and Weiss didn't know what to say.

"Why are you thanking me?" Blake asked, her eyes narrowing. "You weren't really the one making demands."

"I know." Weiss replied, looking away and feeling a little bit embarrassed at the very least. What else was she supposed to do or say at this point? "It's just that it felt like we were asking you for a lot."

Blake shrugged. "For me, turning it down wouldn't have done me any good." Blake explained calmly. "This has the potential to being one of the more important interviews that I do in my life and I don't intend to let that go."

"Right." Weiss said, snapping to attention as the elevator reached the floor that Winter's room was on. "I don't know whether or not you're going to have to wait at all before you're able to talk to her."

"I was hoping to get to talk to both of you." Blake replied calmly. "Having both of you would be really useful."

Weiss paused, thinking hard on it. She absolutely could have gone ahead and told Blake that she would have been happy to participate in the interview personally, but Weiss didn't really feel as though that was something that she could really promise. Not with so much at stake if she did.

"I would like to." Weiss decided to explain herself. "You know that it isn't as though I can just do this, potentially give up my name, and then not be punished for it."

"I know." Blake said, stepping to the front of the elevator as the door opened in front of the two of them. "And I understand that."

Weiss smiled softly, lingering just a step or two behind Blake for a moment before speaking. "Thank you."

Blake just looked back at her, smirked, and walked out of the elevator so that Weiss could walk the two of them down to Winter's room.

* * *

When Blake had arrived at the hotel for their meeting, she hadn't known what there would be to expect from Winter Schnee. She had been expecting the seat of opulence, something that truly spoke to the woman's heritage.

What she found for the woman's room was completely opposite that. In a way, seeing either Weiss or Winter in the normal hotel room felt out of place. Neither of them had likely spent time in a place like that in their lives.

The fact that they were being accompanied by a butler made it seem almost absurd that the three of them were there.

Winter picked her head up to stare her down, and Blake returned the look. It was almost as though Winter had all but completely forgotten her sister's presence in that moment. It felt like a challenge, and there was a rather present part of Blake that insisted that she take it and give the best interview that she could.

"Hello." Winter finally greeted her, standing tall and bringing her hands together behind her back as she fell into parade rest. "I see that you arrived on time."

"It wasn't a problem." Blake replied, letting her eyes flick around the room quickly so that she could get a good idea of what there was for the two of them to deal with. There wasn't much in the way of furniture in the room, that meant that there was the potential that her job was going to be harder. Blake supposed that she could use a dresser or sit on the floor so that she could write, but that wasn't ideal.

She was glad that she had her phone on her so she could record things.

Winter was silent for too long, like she didn't have even the slightest idea as to what she was supposed to do or say before she finally let herself jump into the conversation. "Very well." She said, glancing around the room herself. "I suppose that we should set the terms of the interview."

And oh, how Blake didn't like how that was one of the things that Winter wanted. She had been planning that the two of them would be able to just go ahead and pass over questions that wouldn't work as they came. Apparently Winter wasn't going to let that happen.

"Right." Blake said, standing up tall. "I assume that you want to be anonymous."

"I would prefer it if I can." Winter replied. "But I may be able to be swayed away from that."

"Somehow I doubt that'll happen." Blake said calmly with a grimace. "You are aware that if questions get close to your family, it will be hard to pass over the fact that it is information that the general public would have no access to."

"Then claim that I am close to the family." Winter snapped back. "That's believable."

"It is." Blake muttered. And really, it was. She could absolutely go ahead and claim that her source was someone close to the Schnee family. It was the excuse that she'd used with regards to Weiss, but the odds that things added up and got dangerous was there.

What if it came to a situation where the Schnees began looking through their staff to try and figure out who was causing them trouble? Would their servants all get fired for it? Blake didn't know but if things would end up that way, she didn't want to find out the hard way. Not when she was already having trouble getting both of the sisters to work with her.

Winter she was going to have a hard time with regardless, but Weiss would likely turn on her entirely if something happened.

"So do that." Winter snapped, sitting down on the edge of the bed and crossing one of her legs over the other. "Begin the interview."

Blake did everything in her power not to frown, if only because the chance that things got worse was there. She needed to be willing to play along with whatever was going on with Winter if she wanted to get anywhere with this. Of course, that happened to mean that she was going to need to play along in ways that she didn't want to deal with anyhow.

"Right." Blake said, pausing as she removed her phone from her jacket along with her notepad which she opened, dated, and marked a location for the interview in. "Do you mind that I will be recording you?"

Winter's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Blake wished that was something that didn't surprise her. There was going to be suspicion at every corner, she already expected that. It didn't make her feel any less irritated by it regardless.

"Why would you need to record me?" Winter asked, holding her head high and eyeing Blake with suspicion. "So that you can post it?"

"No." Blake deadpanned. "It's a way that I can ensure that I have more accurate information and that will be able to be closer to what was actually said."

Winter cocked an eyebrow and looked over at her little sister. Weiss looked between the two of them and just nodded. That seemed to make Winter relax slightly.

"Very well." Winter finally said.

Blake bit her tongue and moved straight to the recording app on her phone before pressing the start button. It was time to get to work.

"Could you start by telling me about the condition of Jacques Schnee?" Blake asked, because that was really the starting point that she needed to keep in mind with everything that she did.

"He is in the hospital and recovering from a heart attack." Winter said calmly. "I don't know much with regard to his condition other than that it is poor."

It didn't take Blake long at all to realize that Winter was purposely trying to omit details so that she didn't end up giving up information about herself in the process. It was almost admirable, Blake thought to herself but she didn't dare voice the opinion. To do so would be trouble.

"I understand." Blake said calmly, keeping herself to business only as close as possible until she found herself in Winter Schnee's trust enough that she could start asking the harder questions. "Do you have any experience with the inner workings of SchneeCorp?"

"I do." Winter responded, holding her head high and sitting up tall and straight with perfect posture. "Although you will need to be much more specific with regards to that topic."

"Of course." Blake mumbled. "I wanted to specifically ask about the upper ranks. Would you say that you have experience there?"

"I do." Winter said immediately. "I've brushed shoulders with the family and the board a number of times."

And that was a good answer. It was something that Blake could absolutely go ahead and build off of. "And what was your impression of them?"

"Which one?"

"The board." Blake answered quietly, sure that it was going to be the best segway to the family once that topic got brought up. She watched Winter, and after a moment she relaxed and crossed one leg over the other.

"The SchneeCorp board of director is, quite frankly, filled with men that are much more interested in their own personal standings than they are with SchneeCorp itself. It is no secret that most of them had business partnerships elsewhere, and this has been an object in meetings of theirs."

Blake wracked her mind, thinking back to past research that she had done on the board of Directors at SchneeCorp. A couple of names came immediately to mind, and she could vaguely remember specific links that had been dug up over the years. Because of them, SchneeCorp practically had a way into every possibly industry.

"Could you be specific?" Blake asked, blinking and watching Winter. "While that is all well known about, specific examples would be useful."

Winter paused, and she looked over at Winter like she had something that she wanted to say to her little sister. Weiss' eyes widened just a little bit, like she thought that there was something that was being threatened for discussion that didn't belong being discussed. Whatever it was, Blake wasn't sure that she wanted to know.

Finally, she heard Winter whisper something.

"Should I tell her about The Informer?"

It was a name that did actually mean something to Blake. It was the name of one of the many newspapers within Atlas, one that Blake was very used to hearing about in her line of work.

Blake was familiar with The Atlesian Business Informer specifically because they managed to get exclusive interviews with SchneeCorp executives all the time. Blake wished that she could pretend that it wasn't a hindrance in any way.

And somehow the Schnee sisters knew something specific about it all.

Weiss blinked and shifted how she was standing, picking her hands up and actually seeming to hug herself in an attempt to relax. "I don't know that it's the best idea," Weiss said finally, her voice as quiet as she could possibly manage. A part of Blake couldn't help but be sure that Weiss was trying to keep herself from being caught on the recording. "But if you think that it's a good idea-"

"Understood." Winter said, sitting up tall and sighing. She took a long moment, closing her eyes like she was doing her absolute best to relax and sort out her thoughts before she finally allowed herself to speak up and begin to explain herself. "Do you know who owns the Atlesian Business Informer news publication?" Winter asked, as calm as ever.

Blake blinked because that hadn't been the specific line that she had been expecting to go down. She'd been expecting to be told that there was some sort of special arrangement between SchneeCorp and the publication, not to be asked about who owned the damn thing.

"I can't say that I do." She said finally, and Blake couldn't help but feel a little bit bad over it. This was something that she should have probably been able to figure out and come to a conclusion on easily. Knowing thy enemy and all of that. "Do you?"

"The Atlesian Business Informer is owned by a man by the name of Gaines." Winter began to explain quietly. "Douglas Gaines, specifically."

And that was a name that was familiar to Blake. She knew it well, having come across it so many times over the course of her career as a reporter.

Douglas Gaines was a lower ranking member of the SchneeCorp Board of Directors. He wasn't the most outspoken member of the board, and was more often absent from Blake's work than he was present. That wasn't to say that occasions didn't come up where Blake had to look into him, but it was rare.

"I'm familiar with the name." Blake finally said quietly. "He's been on the Board of Directors for several years now, hasn't he?"

"He has." Winter explained. "And I think that if you were to look into the topic, you would find that his entrance onto the SchneeCorp board corresponds with the time when the Informer began getting exclusive interviews constantly."

There was something bubbling under Blake's skin that felt akin to anger, but she wasn't able to let it show. "I'll be sure to do further research into that topic." Blake said in as relaxed of a way as she possibly could before sitting up tall. "Are you sure that this information is current?"

"Very much so." Winter answered, looking over at Weiss again. The younger sister just nodded, and Klein nodded to confirm. "Looking into the Board members should bring you more information on similar connections."

"Thank you." Blake said. She looked over at Weiss, standing against the wall as she was. Somehow the heiress was managing to turn herself into an absolute wallflower through this interview, and that was something that Blake had ever thought would be possible. And it brought her to another question, one that was very worth asking. "Do you know anything about how the Board of Directors is equipped to handle the absence of Jacques Schnee?"

Winter and Weiss exchanged another look, and Klein took a step forward and raised a hand like he was about to step in and try to interject for a moment. Like there was something that he was trying to protect the sisters from.

Surprisingly, it was Weiss that waved his concerns away from him.

"In the absence of the CEO and Owner of SchneeCorp, control of the company will move to a member of the Board of Directors for the interim until he is either able to return to work, or until they are able to work through Jacques Schnee's will to find the line of succession." Weiss explained, almost like she was reading out of a textbook or something similar. Blake couldn't help the suspicion that Weiss had more or less been forced into memorizing those words in some way. "In which case, SchneeCorp is expected to go to one of his two eligible heirs rather than his wife or eldest daughter."

Blake made a note in her notepad to be sure to exclude the fact that Weiss had been the one to fill in those blanks. It provided her a segway, and could easily be attributed to her 'close to the family' interviewee.

There were other things that Blake wanted to address first before things could fall apart or get more involved with the Schnee family, however. Blake blinked and looked between the two sisters before bringing up her next question.

"How does the board tend to feel when it comes to Jacques Schnee's heirs?" Blake asked. It was probably one of those things that strayed a little bit too close to something dangerous. Either way, she had a chance to get information that was going to be able to open doors for her later. "Are they supportive of them, or would it be wise to expect some sort of coup?"

The sisters went dead silent. Winter sighed and sat up a little bit taller and with her back straight. "They are more concerned with themselves." She said finally, making sure not to lock her eyes with Blake's. "Though I doubt that they would go as far as to act on that thought."

"Of course." Blake scribbled down yet another note. She was sure that she was going to need to go ahead and do more research on that later on, but for now, she had her segue. "What is your impression of the Schnee family?"

Winter clamped her jaw shut, and the muscles went almost completely tense before the woman stood up. "They're self-important and uninterested in the good of each other's well-being." Winter snapped, looking to Klein and her sister. "This interview is over."

It wasn't an answer, but at the same time, it managed to be a huge indicator of what Blake needed to know. She was going to have to go ahead and try to get more out of Weiss sometime if she got a chance. "I understand." Blake said, feeling a little bit more than annoyed by the fact that she had only gotten to ask two questions before it was time to stop. "Thank you for your time."

"Of course." Winter responded. "I will be keeping a close eye on your website for this article. If it is not up to my standards and my identity is given away, then I will not be afraid to take action." It was a threat, and Blake wasn't sure how serious it was. Because of that, she didn't want to go ahead and poke at the topic too much and make things worse. "Thank you for your time."

Blake nodded and began to pack her things back up, standing up tall. She was about to go to the door when Weiss looked at her sister and Klein before murmuring a word to them both and slipping away after her.


	8. little bits of history

There were a lot of things that Blake hadn't been prepared for that night when it came to the interview. She'd been expecting to find herself in a situation where she could just go home and do her job once the interview was done.

She hadn't been preparing herself for the prospect that her interview was going to get cut short. She hadn't been preparing herself to drive home with Weiss at her back and with the woman's arms wrapped around her waist.

Least of all, she hadn't been preparing to find herself in an empty apartment and sharing the space with a _very_ out of place Weiss Schnee.

Somehow, the manner of how that had all been able to happen was still a bit of a blur in Blake's mind.

Weiss and her were sitting on Blake's bed, just in case Yang ended up coming home while the two of them were there. At the very least, the heiress looked uncomfortable, and Blake didn't want to go ahead and pry into that too much.

But the two of them had been sitting there in the quiet for a little too long before Blake finally spoke up.

"So." She asked, opening her laptop in front of her and stretching her fingers out as she opened a new word document so that she could get to work. "Was there anything in particular that you wanted to talk about?"

"There... is." Weiss said after some hesitation. She kept her eyes away from Blake's for a moment before speaking up. "It's about something that Winter said during the interview."

Blake blinked, and raised an eyebrow. She was a little bit more than interested in that, if only because it seemed like Weiss wanted to say something important to her. There were gaps that the younger woman was getting ready to fill in, and Blake wanted to know.

"I'm curious." Blake admitted, pausing for a moment before speaking again. "Does this need to be off the record?"

"Yes." Weiss snapped immediately. "Not a word can leave this room. It's..." Weiss' eyes flickered away from Blake, a blush of shame rising on the heiress' cheeks that was far from unattractive. "A more personal matter."

And if this was about the Schnee family themselves, Blake figured that was a reaction that she needed to expect. There was too much that could go wrong if this truly sensitive information got to the general public.

"Then it's settled." Blake said, pushing her laptop away from herself and showing the screen so that Weiss could see that she wasn't being recorded. "Start whenever you feel like it."

Weiss nodded and closed her eyes. She sighed quietly and seemed to force herself to relax as much as she possibly could before speaking. "The Board of Directors isn't keen on letting go if my father passes away." Weiss said quietly. "And as of right now, he hasn't recovered much at all. The prognosis we were given was… bleak."

"I'm sorry." Blake responded. "So what does that mean for you?"

The heiress shifted and looked away from Blake. From where she was sitting, Blake was able to watch the slow tracing of the pattern on her blankets of Weiss' fingers. They were thin, frail, lovely things. The sort of fingers that were meant to be sliding over piano keys or otherwise creating something beautiful. Unfit for work, even.

Blake forced the thought back before it could get out of hand. She and Weiss were just involved an a mutual working relationship, that was all. Nothing more and nothing less. They both knew it too.

Weiss blinked twice before just letting her eyes slip shut, almost like she was doing her best to take the chance presented to her to just meditate on what was happening. Finally, when Weiss was comfortable, she spoke up to explain.

"What it means for me is that I'm not the most likely person to inherit SchneeCorp when my father passes away." Weiss said, and she sounded almost sad. Like she had just taken a bullet to the heart and didn't want anyone to be able to see the damage that had been done. "As of right now, and for most of my life, I would say that my brother Whitley is and has always been considered the more… worthy heir."

Blake was surprised, and Weiss' words already had her wanting to reach to her laptop so that she could scramble her way through everything that she'd ever learned with regards to the Schnee line. In a way, Weiss had almost explained how Jacques Schnee had been so willing to toss aside his eldest daughter, but had also left some rather large holes open.

"What do you mean by that?" Blake asked, watching Weiss' expressions closely. "Does birth order not matter?"

"It matters on paper." Weiss sighed. "But Whitley is my father's favorite child, and he always has been." She shook her head, and her white bangs swayed slightly with the motion. "To say that he hasn't been able to go through things without some sort of advantage over Winter and I would be a lie."

Blake nodded slowly and leaned back in her space a little bit, doing her best to make herself a little bit more comfortable as the two of them sat there. "What does your mother think of all of this?"

"It doesn't matter." Weiss whispered. "She doesn't have any power with regards to the company even though..." Her voice trailed off.

"Even though she should have been the proper heir to the company over your father." Blake finished. "Is that what you mean?"

"Yes." Weiss admitted. "My grandfather should have passed it down to her, but somehow my father won his favor, and my mother has been written out of the narrative for a long time." She paused for a long time. "My mother is still around but she's not... how she used to be."

"I'm sorry." Blake said. She had yet another note that came to mind that she needed to get down on paper as soon as possible, but she wasn't sure whether it was a thought that she should voice to Weiss. It probably wasn't for the best if she went ahead and asked Weiss how much she thought sexism played into the inner workings of SchneeCorp.

And really, Blake wasn't sure that Weiss would even be able to deny it if she wanted to.

Weiss stared her down with narrowed eyes though, and Blake only let her gaze meet Weiss' as the two of them sat there. "I want to inherit the company," Weiss explained calmly. "But as things are right now, I don't know that I'll have a chance for that. I'll be cast off to the side like Winter was."

Blake watched as Weiss crossed one leg over the other and made herself a little bit more comfortable, even if the entire motion was still as stiff as ever. Weiss was never going to be able to look like she really belonged there in Blake's apartment, Blake thought. She was too out of place, with her fine clothes and everything.

"Do you... want to tell me about your sister?"

"You've met her." Weiss said, and she managed to sound a little bit exasperated when she said that. "I missed her a lot, and seeing her in Atlas again has been nice."

"That doesn't tell me much about her though." Blake explained, sighing. She needed to make sure that Weiss would actually want to trade off information with her if the two of them were going to continue the conversation. "I'm not going to make you tell me anything."

"I know." Weiss responded with a sigh. "I feel like I don't really know anything about you, when you know everything about me."

"That's... not true." Blake said, and she almost wanted to slap herself for those words. She did know much, much more than Weiss knew about her. The nature of her job made it that way, but Blake suspected that she was going to need to be able to make this a more even exchange sometime if this was going to work out as a professional relationship.

And Weiss had certainly caught what Blake had said, based on the glare that had transpired on her face. "Really now?" Weiss snapped. "You don't know everything about me?"

Blake sighed, shaking her head. "I didn't mean it like that." She said finally. "Just that we know about each other in the professional sense."

"And I don't like it." Weiss snapped back. "I'm being asked all of these things about my family and our personal lives and I don't like how... lopsided it feels."

"So how would you like to fix it?" Blake asked, because if she was going to be able to play this right, she needed to be able to do so on Weiss' terms. That was what would ensure the longest mutual relationship between the two of them.

"I'm going to ask you questions, and when you answer one of my questions, you can ask me one." Weiss offered, staring Blake down. "Could you agree to that?"

"Sure." Blake said, resting her hands on her knees and offering Weiss her open palms to signal that she was ready for whatever question the heiress had for her.

"Where are you from?" Weiss asked, starting small. Blake figured that it was a question that Weiss had chosen because it was one of the things that Blake knew undoubtedly about Weiss.

It was also an easy enough question to answer.

Blake looked over at the wall, and her eyes fell on a map. No use in lying. "I was raised in Kuo Kuana." Blake said calmly, with a slight shrug. "It's a little bit..."

"Warmer?" Weiss asked, smiling slightly. "I've never been."

Blake couldn't help but be surprised by that. She had figured that Weiss had been able to see the entire world over the course of the short 24 years of her life. Wealth and her family meant that Weiss would have been able to do anything.

But, Blake thought, Weiss had probably been kept in Atlas and close to her family for most of her life. And it was interesting to think about, that Weiss wouldn't have been able to travel somewhere like that in her life. Or maybe Weiss hadn't had that choice or had decided to go somewhere else.

"It's warmer." Blake said with a shrug. "A lot more crowded than Atlas is, though."

Weiss nodded, and she seemed interested, but whatever she had been thinking of saying or doing was banished soon enough. Weiss forced herself to sit upright and with her back straight. "Well, that's my question." Weiss said quietly. "So I'll answer one of yours."

It didn't take Blake any time at all to figure out what she wanted to ask. She wasn't going to let Weiss leave her apartment that night if she wasn't going to be able to get an answer. "What's the story with your sister?"

"My sister." Weiss sighed. She didn't seem too keen on the question, and Blake decided that it was for the best if she gave the heiress a chance to prepare herself. "You want to know why she was..." Hesitation. "Disowned, don't you?" Weiss finally finished, and hearing it stated in _that_ way was a surprise.

Blake hadn't heard that Winter had been disowned, just that she'd been removed from the line of succession. Suddenly, she was beginning to have second thoughts on whether or not she really wanted to do this and ask these sorts of questions. "Yes." Blake said, quietly. "I'd like to know."

Weiss looked away from Blake, and her eyes were so sad before she finally began her explanation. "It's... complicated." Weiss began. "You need to know that my father isn't a nice man, and that when he feels like someone has wronged him for something, he won't forget about it."

"Right."

"What does the name James Ironwood mean to you, Blake?" Weiss stared Blake down, and there was an intensity that Blake hadn't been prepared for in her gaze.

It was such a sudden question that Blake couldn't help but be taken aback by it. She didn't even know where she was supposed to start with it other than the general knowledge that she did have.

Namely, that James Ironwood was a political figure of some notoriety, and that Winter Schnee was known to be under his employ. Anything beyond that, Blake couldn't be sure. His name wasn't one that had turned up with regards to SchneeCorp aside from one or two passing mentions.

One regarding to a failed engagement decades before, and the other when Winter had started working for him. It wasn't a whole lot for Blake to work off of.

"I know that your sister works for him." Blake responded, leaning back in her seat. "And that he's military, high ranking. People think that he's going into politics sometime soon, though the details are… iffy at best. That's about it."

"Right." Weiss answered. "He and my father... know each other. I wouldn't go as far as to say that the two of them are friends. They're far from it, really, but my father had been trying to get into Ironwood's favor for years before..."

"Before your sister joined the military." Blake finished. "I'll let you continue."

"Exactly." Weiss snapped, crossing one leg over the other. Her gaze fell on a spot on the wall, just over Blake's head. It was clear that she was doing her best to concentrate and keep herself somewhat distant from everything that the two of them were dealing with. "He was a presence when Winter, Whitley, and I were growing up. Winter always liked him a lot, and he was kind for us. He talked to her about joining the military a few times, but I don't know much about it. I don't think he wanted her to join him particularly, Winter always brought it up." Her voice trailed off for a moment.

"When Winter made the decision that she wanted to join the military, my father was furious. He started claiming that Ironwood who is... well, unmarried. You know that. My father started claiming that Ironwood was trying to steal Winter from him, first over something involving my mother, then as a replacement daughter, and then started throwing around…" Weiss stared away, frowning. She looked a little bit like she was about to cry, even before continuing. "Certain _accusations._ And when every one of those accusations were denied by both of them, my father took it out in his own special way."

"By disowning your sister." Blake suggested, just waiting for the confirmation that her thoughts were correct on the matter. "That's it?"

"Yes." Weiss sighed. "Ironwood comes by the mansion sometimes, but it's rare and never fun to be around for because of how my father would act. Winter was cut off completely, but Ironwood's been known to give her enough free reign to check in on the family from time to time. He and my mother were friends..." There was another moment of hesitation. "It's been hard on us."

Blake nodded along, unsure of whether or not she wanted to go ahead and prompt Weiss for more answers on the topic. There was something underneath the current of everything that Blake didn't want to pry into. Something that felt like this sort of behavior from Jacques Schnee was fairly normal, that he wasn't afraid to hurt the people close to him to prove a point.

And suddenly the fear over whether or not she was being obvious about who her sources were became much, much more tangible. Weiss wasn't just looking at being disinherited- she was looking at being cut off from her family completely, in the same way that Winter had been. WInter wasn't afraid of getting in trouble for work reasons, she was afraid of things getting even worse between herself and her father.

There were still gaps in the story though. Blake didn't know much about how Whitley Schnee played into this and as for Willow Schnee...

Well, considering what she had heard involving old grudges with Ironwood and how Winter fit into things, Blake wasn't sure she wanted to know where the dots connected. There might have been something dark and terrifying, and Blake had doubts that Weiss would be able to fill in those gaps.

Willow Schnee was a ghost. Willow Schnee's history, at least what was known of it, was somewhat sad.

And her daughters were being punished for it, it seemed.

There were truly layers upon layers upon layers of implications brought on by that fact alone, and Blake didn't know that she really wanted to go ahead and dig into them. It was sure to be a story that would only fall apart the more that it got looked into.

She paused and looked across the bed at Weiss, who was sitting there with her legs folded together at her side. Weiss looked so sad, and Blake wanted to be able to reach out and help her. She wanted to be able to offer comfort to this girl, but at the same time she wasn't sure that she ever could.

It would only cause problems. It would be a case of her making serious bounds past what they were.

"I'm sorry." Blake said quietly, watching Weiss' face. She was going to have to make sure that she wrote down everything that they shared that day later. It wasn't so that she could report on Weiss' story, but so that she knew what not to say.

That was just as important as knowing what to say was.

"It isn't your fault." Weiss said, all too quietly. Broken, almost, Blake thought. "My father is an angry man, even if he doesn't let it show to the world. They don't need to know how bad things are with the Schnees. To people we're just..."

"Rich." Blake finished, because that was really how it was for most people. What people thought when they saw the name Schnee was that the people bearing it were wealthy and wrapped up in their own lives. "It isn't your fault."

"I know." Weiss said quietly. "But I need to be able to be the best for the sake of looking after my father's company. I know that it'll make things harder between myself and Whitley but if I want the family company to be respected, someone needs to step in that cares about it."

That brought another question up in Blake's mind, but she wasn't going to bring it up. Not yet, since they were trying to make things as equal as possible.

Weiss closed her eyes and let her head tilt down. Her hands were balled into fists in front of her, and Blake saw that she had taken hold of her skirt in the process. Instead of saying anything, Blake just sat back at let Weiss take her time to relax. It was too necessary.

There was a long wait before Weiss spoke up again.

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Of course." Blake replied, feeling a little bit worried. "What is it?"

"Did you just come to Atlas for work?" Weiss started, sounding a little bit more calm and happy. "Or was there some other reason for it?"

Blake swallowed hard, feeling a wave of anxiety beginning to rise from her chest. It was a topic that she didn't want to discuss all too much, and there were a lot of reasons for that. But, if they were being honest with each other, Blake knew that she was going to have to speak up.

She balled her hands into fists in her lap, and when her nails cut into her palm, Blake ignored it.

"You want to know that?"

"I think so." Weiss replied. "Is there something-"

"No." Blake sighed. "It's just a hard topic."

"Well, I'm listening."

Blake tilted her head up so that she could look Weiss in the eye. Weiss just stared across at her, and finally Blake felt ready to begin to explain herself.

"I didn't come to Atlas for work originally." Blake began, knowing that her voice was coming off as a little too quietly. "I came here for... someone. He got a job with The Fang and I thought that I loved him so much that I followed him here." She shook her head, trying not to focus on the thought too much. It was too painful. "I ended up getting a job with The Fang with his help, then we worked together, and eventually stopped working together."

Weiss had her mouth open, and she blinked her soft blue eyes. She looked shocked, and Blake just hoped that Weiss wasn't reading between the lines in what she was saying. She didn't need for Weiss to immediately know why she had left her old partner.

The fact that Blake was barely even able to breathe the man's name, Adam, was an indicator enough of how bad it was. Someday she was going to have to talk to people about it, but for now...

Well, Blake was happy to dodge the topic. It wasn't something that she even talked about with her family or friends. The only one that really knew anything about it was Ilia but it was a silent topic. One that they both decided was best kept out of discussion.

"Was... there a reason that you stopped working with him?" Weiss asked, and for a moment Blake could only think that the heiress managed to sound disappointed. That was something that she didn't want to read into or try to understand. It was too dangerous to get that attached or worried about it.

"There was." Blake sighed. "It was just... better that we went our separate ways."

"So you're pretty much here in Atlas for as long as you're with The Fang?" Weiss asked, like that was the only thing that she wanted to try to understand without breaking through the barriers that they needed between them. "Or do you actually like it here?"

"I don't know." Blake replied, shrugging. "I've been planning to stay here for a while if I can. It can be... hard, but I like it here for the most part."

"Aside from the winters?" Weiss joked, smiling softly.

"Aside from the winters." Blake finished, realizing that she might have been given an out intentionally.

So Weiss understood? Maybe? Blake didn't know.

Really, it was about time that she got to a question of her own, but Blake didn't know that she wanted to do that yet. Not after Weiss had said so much about what was going on in her life already. It was probably for the best to let the heiress talk and figure things out herself.

Weiss relaxed her hands and brushed her skirt back down on her legs. "I don't blame you." She said finally. "For being here for work. I don't like being here that much because of my family, but Atlas isn't that bad of a place to live."

"Well, you choose to spend most of your time in Vale, don't you?" Blake asked, turning her head to stare Weiss down for a bit. "How do you like that?"

"Vale?" Weiss asked. "You want to know about Vale and not about the company?"

"Consider me curious."

Weiss' face screwed up a little bit before she let herself explain what she thought of her situation. "Well, I went out to Vale because I heard that it was a nice place to stay, and the education opportunities there were nice. A couple of my friends also went there, and we all just liked it so much that we decided to stay."

Weiss' face reddened a little bit, and she looked back down at the bed. "It really isn't all that interesting."

And Blake paused, because she hadn't really been thinking about Weiss' life in Vale as a thing that was interesting to talk about. She'd more been curious because that was just a way to better understand the Heiress.

For Blake, time spent with Weiss was beginning to feel like a constant process of peeling back layers to see what was hiding underneath. Under the spoiled rich girl look, there was someone interested in her family's company, then under that there was a someone that was just looking for things to turn out well, and then under that...

Blake didn't know what the next layer was. That was what she wanted to find out, as unprofessional as it was.

Ultimately, the whole thing was making her wish that she was able to actually come into the topic from an unbiased angle and learn about Weiss because of who Weiss was as a person rather than for work. The fact that Blake was largely in Weiss' life because of the fact that the woman's father was possibly dying left a bad taste in her mouth.

She was a vulture, and SchneeCorp and its members were practically corpses laid out before her.

That didn't make it any better.

"Tell me about Vale anyways." Blake said, watching Weiss. "It'd probably be nice to get away from company talk on your end."

"Well," Weiss began. "Like I said, I went there for university originally, and I ended up with some friends there. Of course there's a bit of a... gap between us and the average person, but that really makes it safer for us." She paused, looking at Blake with some guilt. Blake felt her stomach twist over it. "It's easier when people think that we'll walk over them because that way they'll just..."

"Leave you alone?"

"Yeah." Weiss sighed. "And it's not like that at all. My friends in Vale... they're some of the nicest people I know, they're just more... privileged. And we try to be aware of it."

Blake nodded along, not sure if she knew what to say to Weiss at that. She was sure that if she wanted to she could easily find out who those friends that Weiss was referring to were, but...

Well, it would be better to just ask those questions in person, wouldn't it?

"Has that been a problem regularly?" Blake prompted the heiress.

Weiss cocked her head to the side, but the motion was quickly aborted as she decided to look down into her own lap instead. "No." Weiss began. "Usually we just get by without people causing us too much trouble and see where we can go from there."

"Do you miss your friends from there?"

The silence that fell over the room really managed to speak for itself, Blake decided. Weiss looked quite sad, and Blake had to wonder how much the woman had needed to give up so that she could come to Atlas. It seemed like Weiss had needed to abandon everything for the sake of her family, whether she liked it or not.

Not entirely unlike how Blake had chosen to relocate her entire life for someone that she ultimately ended up hating.

"I do." Weiss sighed. "Neptune and Coco said that they wanted to come and see me when they got a chance, but..." She paused. "I don't know that they'll want to come until they know how things are going with my father."

"Neptune Vasilias and Coco Adel?" Blake guessed, since those were the only names that matched what she knew about Weiss' life. "Those are your friends?"

"They are." Weiss said, blinking at Blake. "They're really quite nice." She paused, and actually smirked just a little bit. "How do you know their names?"

"Heard them through the grapevine," Blake admitted. "A lot of my work is just... watching the news. Regardless of what type."

"Right." Weiss replied, leaning back in her seat. "I'll be able to see them again eventually, it's just going to be hard."

"Right."

There was a quiet, and then the sound of the door to the apartment opening made Blake feel the need to get up and check in with Yang. It was probably for the best if her roommate knew not to bother them.

Weiss had heard it too, though. The way that she had almost jolted over the sound and craned her neck in the direction of the door to Blake's room was an indicator enough of that. Blake decided not to bring it up, but a quick look at her alarm clock told her that they were going to have to get Weiss home sooner than later.

It was late.

"That's probably my roommate." Blake said, climbing off of the bed and stretching. It was probably better to let Yang know that they had company. "Do you want me to-"

"Introduce us?" Weiss asked, and she actually managed to sound a little bit nervous about it all. "Or..."

"I actually meant let my roommate know that I have company." Blake joked, and Weiss took it easily enough. "It's just a courtesy thing."

"Right." Weiss said, looking away from Blake. "Is your roommate..."

"If you're asking if she's involved with the Fang, she's not. Trust me on that." Blake said, heading over to the door. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Okay." Weiss said, and she watched as Blake disappeared on the other side of the door, closing it behind her.

* * *

Weiss sat there on the bed for several minutes, waiting for Blake and ultimately unsure of what to make of the impromptu question and answer session that the two of them were taking part in. Blake was asking her a lot of questions that were personal, and while Weiss wasn't entirely sure whether or not she could completely trust the woman, this was good enough.

After all, she was finally in a situation where she was able to find out things about Blake. She hadn't been expecting to get a look into the woman's house after the initial interview with Winter had gone so poorly. She hadn't been expecting to hear that Blake was from Kuo Kuana or that Blake had come to Atlas primarily for work.

And just the same, she hadn't been expecting questions about her personal life that was unrelated to the work that she did with the Fang. Blake seemed to be taking it all in stride, but Weiss was left with so many questions that she had absolutely no good way of getting answered. As things stood, Blake was out talking to her roommate (and Weiss couldn't help but wonder what it was like having a roommate. During university she'd had private housing, and as a child she'd never been able to share a space with Winter or Whitley like that.) WEiss was left to sit in Blake's bedroom alone.

It wasn't as horrific as it could have been, Weiss thought as she looked around the room. It was decorated fairly sparsely, with the most attention having been paid to Blake's desk. There was something in Weiss that tugged her towards the desk, where it seemed like Blake decided to store all of her notes.

What would she learn if she went there and began to look over them? Weiss didn't know, but she was so afraid to find out. The chances that Blake was going to have things there that were strictly judging her family, judging her were too high.

Weiss hesitated and looked over at the door, checking whether or not Blake was back. She could hear the sound of Blake and another woman talking, and Weiss decided that it wouldn't hurt to get up and stretch her legs a little. Of course, she was going to have to think about getting back to the mansion sometime.

But for now...

Weiss crept over towards the desk and looked down at it, her eyes scanning over pages upon pages of notes, both typed and handwritten. So much of it didn't read like actual notes beyond some sort of dossier. Blake's records on the Schnee family, their major business holdings, among other things.

Nothing personal, from what she could see. So much of it was just speculation.

Weiss was afraid for what would make it onto that sheet from that day.

Really, she never wanted to find out.

The thought made her stomach flip, and so when Blake came back in, Weiss politely decided to ask for a ride back to the Schnee Manor so that she could _rest._ Blake didn't question it, and that was a relief.

The feeling of the wind on Weiss' face as she clung to the back of Blake's motorcycle was almost calming.


	9. tied together

Weiss got up early in the morning, long before anyone could have come to wake her up by knocking on her bedroom door. Normally, Klein would have been the one to do that, but this morning Weiss really _needed_ the separation. She needed to feel like she had her own space, at least for a little while.

It would figure that it would almost _immediately_ get ruined by someone else's presence.

When she got down to the main floor of the mansion, Weiss crossed through the dining room because that was going to be the fastest way for her to get to the family's library, where she was hoping to get some quiet and some reading in.

"Hello sister."

Whitley's voice made her jump, and Weiss found herself actually clutching at her chest in surprise over the sound. She hadn't been expecting to hear from him at all. What was he even doing up?

"Whitley." Weiss greeted him, bringing her hand down slowly and nervously. She brought her arms together behind her back, remembering old reprimands and standing up straight like she was making some sort of public appearance. "It's good to see you."

"I'm glad to see you as well, dear sister." Whitley said, leaning forward and bracing himself against the table just slightly. Weiss watched the steam rise from his coffee, and she had to wonder how long Whitley had been up.

He reminded her too much of their father at the worst of times. Even on the good days, he was too much like their father.

"What are you doing up?" Weiss asked, blinking and staring her brother down as he allowed himself to relax further. She didn't allow herself to do the same. "It's rather early."

"Oh." Whitley said, sitting up tall and smiling. "I was asked to come to the offices today. Something about the Board of Directors." Whitley explained, cocking his head to the side and watching Weiss closely. It left her feeling like she was under a microscope. "Were you not asked the same?"

"I wasn't." Weiss said, wondering whether or not she should take the chance to sit down across from her brother. If this was a conversation that the two of them needed to have, then she needed to act as though she was open to it. "Have they said what they want you there for?"

Whitley hesitated, and he just gestured to one of the many seats at the table. Understanding, Weiss seated herself and looked across at her little brother.

Once she was seated, he decided to begin to explain.

"I figure that it has to do with father," Whitley began, keeping his voice down like he was afraid that the two of them were going to be overheard. He paused, looking away from Weiss and for a moment she knew that she saw the tell-tale sign of sadness on his face. It only made sense, though, Weiss reminded herself.

Whitley was the one that was the closest to their father, out of their entire family.

"Of course it does." Weiss replied, letting her hands rest on the table in front of her. "Have you been in to see him?"

"I went yesterday." Whitley said with a shrug. "I asked mother if she would want to come along, but she said that she was too busy."

Weiss didn't need an explanation to know what her brother meant by that. Their mother wouldn't have been allowed in the hospital because she would have been too drunk. She would have been too drunk because being around their father seemed to suck all of the life out of her. It was just yet another shameful Schnee family secret that was kept as quiet as was possible.

"I'm sorry." Weiss said. She felt the pang of something painful down in her chest, something akin to guilt. She hadn't even bothered to go in the day before, and while Weiss had been doing her best to arrive at the hospital every day to see their father, the day before she'd just been too busy. It made her wonder whether or not her brother had figured out that Winter was in the city.

Whitley nodded and focused his eyes on Weiss. "Have you been in to see him lately?"

"I was busy yesterday." Weiss sighed, "But I was planning to go and check on him today when visiting hours opened."

"He'd be glad to-" Whitley began to speak, but he cut himself off. It was almost like his jaw had turned into diamonds immediately. Weiss knew exactly what he was meaning to say just as well as Whitley did. Her father wouldn't have been glad to see that she was coming to visit him, regardless of whether he was awake or not.

In fact, Weiss was sure that if he was aware of her presence, Weiss would have only found herself getting torn into by her father for her troubles.

"I know." Weiss lied, thinking back to her sister. She was going to have to take the chance to organize her day around a hospital visit and spending her time with Whitley. On top of that, she was going to have to check in on The Fang and make sure that there was nothing incriminating showing up there.

Beyond that, Weiss didn't really know how her day was going to end up looking. It was scary, in its own way.

Whitley hesitated, and Weiss wished that she knew what was going on in her brother's head. Nothing was going to be able to help her figure that out so easily, and she knew it perfectly well.

Even still, this was her family. Weiss didn't know that she would say that she loved all of them, but Whitley...

Well, Weiss wondered how Whitley would be if not for their father's intervention. Her brother had more or less been chosen and shaped from birth to be their father's favorite, and Weiss was sure that sex had everything to do with it.

The fact that Whitley was the only one that had never gone ahead and left only made it more complicated. He could have easily left Atlas, just the same as Weiss and Winter had, but he was content there. He had no ambitions outside of Atlas, just the family company.

The anxiety that grew in Weiss' chest over that was concerning. It was a reminder that she probably wasn't going to be the best person to lead SchneeCorp. Ultimately, Whitley was better suited for it, if only because he'd been groomed for it from day one.

Whitley didn't say anything, just watched her for a little while longer before sighing and bowing his head a little bit. "So," Whitley began, putting on a smile and looking back up at Weiss with careful, watching eyes. "I have a question, and I suspect that you would know the answer to it."

"Possibly?" Weiss asked, prompting her brother to say more if only because she didn't know what he could possibly want. A few things went through her mind, but none of them seemed like they might be close to the truth that she had to be concerned for. "What is it?"

"I heard a rumor." Whitley said, picking up his mug of coffee so that he could take a sip. "About our dear sister."

Weiss was immediately taken aback by that, because it wasn't exactly like Whitley to care that much about Winter. It was no secret that the three Schnee siblings weren't exactly what one could call close. When it came to the oldest and the youngest, the two of them didn't like each other at all.

More accurately, Whitley didn't like Winter and Winter wanted to be close to a brother that wanted nothing to do with her, all while Weiss was there to attempt to close the cap and drag them together.

"Oh." Weiss said, already feeling some suspicions coming up. Somehow Whitley had heard about Winter's presence in Atlas, and if that was true, Weiss would have to watch her back. "What was it?"

"I heard that she came home." Whitley said, his eyes flicking back down so that he could look back into his coffee. "And hasn't come to see us."

"I haven't heard anything about that," Weiss lied, hoping that her brother wouldn't follow along and try to find out more. "I hope that she would come to see-"

"Stop lying to me, _sister_." Whitley snapped, his voice going ice cold along with his expression. He was gripping his mug a little bit too tightly, and Weiss could feel her chest tightening as she sat there. Everything was falling apart and she had no idea as to what she could possibly do to assuage that. "I know that you've been staying out lately."

Weiss paused, looking away from Whitley. It was an easy conclusion to draw that Weiss had been spending most of her time with Winter when she was in fact spending her time away at night. While it was true that she had spent some time with her sister, she couldn't just tell the truth on that matter. Not if it was going to make things get worse.

But she also couldn't just say that she was going out at night to spend her time with a reporter that had been blacklisted.

With no good options, Weiss made a choice.

"I've been spending time with someone." Weiss sighed, looking away from her brother. "Not Winter. Just someone that I knew back in university."

"Ah." Whitley said, narrowing his eyes. He didn't believe her. "So would you say that this person is... nice?"

"I... Yes. Very much so."

"A boyfriend then?" Whitley prodded, and Weiss felt her heart freeze over in her chest over the question.

She needed to give an answer, and Weiss just went with the first thing that came to mind. She was going to have to make some calls by the looks of it, but as things stood, Weiss only had one option.

"Yes, actually." Weiss said, looking back across at her brother. "Neptune Vasilias."

Whitley blinked and nodded, understanding. "Very well," He said, sighing. "I'll trust you for now, dear sister. Do be sure to let me know if you see _our_ sister."

"Right." Weiss said, standing up and rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm herself up a little bit. "Of course. Enjoy your coffee, Whitley."

"You too, Weiss." Whitley said, drinking from his mug and watching her closely as she retreated from the room and went off to go through the rest of her morning.

Weiss couldn't calm herself down so easily, but as soon as she was back in her room she was making a phone call back to Vale.

* * *

Blake was woken up by the sound of knocking on her apartment door, followed closely by the sound of a familiar voice calling to her. "Blake!' The woman on the other side called to her. "It's your editor. You should be getting up so that the two of us can talk-"

 _Shit_.

Blake picked her head up and looked over at the clock. It was nearly 11, and that was _bad_. She was probably supposed to have something sent to Ilia hours ago, and that...

Well, that explained what her editor was doing at her apartment.

"Coming!" Blake called back, rolling out of bed and taking the moment to check her phone. There was a series of missed calls from Ilia that had gotten filtered out by Blake's quiet mode settings, one missed call from her mother, and a text from Weiss that had just been sent to confirm that she had made it home alright.

Blake was going to have to take care of those things one at a time, but for now, Ilia was the most urgent thing.

She climbed out of bed and pulled her black hair out of her face in the hopes that it would be able to make her look at least a little bit more appropriate for an impromptu business meeting. Blake checked herself in the mirror and then padded over to the door and pulled it open.

What she found was that Ilia was standing there, just outside, her face tomato red and matching her hair. Blake found herself regretting that she'd shown her editor where her spare key was kept.

"It's about time you answered." Ilia said, glaring Blake down. "Where the hell is your article?"

Blake closed her eyes, trying to concentrate as she thought back on the night before. There had been a lot of things that had stopped her from doing what she'd wanted the night before. And there was no easy way to explain that she didn't exactly have a story.

"It's... a long story." Blake said, looking back over her shoulder at the bedroom. "Come in and I'll explain."

"You better." Ilia replied, following Blake in and making a beeline for the bed. She seated herself, and Blake took her position at her desk, reaching over and tapping on her keyboard so that they could start. "What's the story, Blake? Or rather, _where's_ the story?"

Blake bit her lower lip and looked away from Ilia, if only for just for a second as she tried to collect her thoughts and come to a good way to actually explain things. There was a lot that she was sure to keep very far from her job, and information was just one of the categories that occasionally applied to. So whatever she ended up saying had to be both clear and important.

"This doesn't leave the room." Blake started, making sure to lock her eyes with Ilia and make it _very_ clear that what she was saying was strictly confidential. Once Ilia nodded, Blake allowed herself to tell the story.

"I've been in regular contact with Weiss Schnee." Blake explained, looking down at her bed and trying hard not to think about the fact that Weiss had been there on the bed with her the night before. Trying not to think about Weiss' legs, poking out from under her skirt, or the conversation that they had shared in too much detail.

"Yes, I know that." Ilia responded, staring across at Blake with a wholly bored expression written on her face. "So what about it?"

"Last night I was given a chance to interview her sister." Blake began to explain, still sorting through piles of information to try and find the most accessible angles. The ones that wouldn't get her or the Schnee sisters into trouble. "And I took it."

Ilia blinked and she looked like she had something that she desperately wanted to say. Blake watched her mouth drop open just slightly before Ilia clamped it back shut, her square jaw going too hard. "So you were busy then."

"Yes." Blake answered. "I know that it isn't a good excuse."

"To be truthful," Ilia started with a sigh. "It's not a good excuse at all, but it's you so I trust that you got something that would at least be useful." She paused, staring Blake down again. "You got something useful, didn't you?"

"I got what the Schnee Sisters were willing to offer." Blake explained herself, "but a lot of it was off the record, unfortunately."

"I won't ask then." Ilia sighed, leaning back in Blake's bed and bracing herself against it with an outstretched arm. "Will you be able to use some of it, at the very least?"

"Some." Blake replied. "I was given a few leads to follow, but that's all stuff that I can do without having to out either of the sisters as having been talking to anyone at The Fang."

"Good." Ilia said before going all quiet, like there was something that she wanted to say but wasn't quite able to get out. Like she was afraid to ask a question or bring it up.

Blake wasn't really in the mood to deal with that sort of awkwardness though. "What is it?"

Ilia looked up at her and Blake watched as her editor's face flushed red a little bit. It was one of things that she spent a lot of time trying to ignore with Ilia. There was a good reason for it, though, as annoying as her editor's remaining crush could be.

"I was just thinking that we could get so much done if either of them would just allow us to use their name." Ilia said, looking back down at the bed. She reached for her phone, checking something on it in an obvious attempt to try and make some of the awkwardness to go. "You know that the twins would be all over this."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Yeah, they would be." She answered with a sigh. "But I don't want to go ahead and ruin what could be a good business relationship."

"Of course not." Ilia sighed, looking away from her phone now. "I don't blame you for wanting to keep secrets." She went quiet for a long moment before speaking up again. "Are you worried that you'll get another story passed down to you?"

"No," Blake answered, shrugging. "I'm The Fang's main writer on SchneeCorp these days."

"Aside from Adam."

"Aside from Adam." Blake repeated, sighing. It began to feel like her chest was getting all tight with anxiousness while she sat there. It brought her back to the conversation that she had the night before with Weiss.

She wanted to ask about him, see what he was up to these days and make sure that he was far away from her. Blake knew that she couldn't hope for as much, and whether Ilia would even know was a major question. Either way, Blake was glad that the man was out of her life and she didn't have to go on assignments with him anymore.

That was about the best gift that anyone could have given her. As long as Adam was away from her, Blake could be happy.

That was what really mattered.

"Blake?" Ilia asked, and that was enough to snap Blake back into reality and out of her thoughts. "Are you-"

"I'm fine." Blake answered, shifting awkwardly and trying to ignore her worries. Trying not to think about Adam anymore. Trying not to think about Weiss anymore. "Do you think that you'll be able to check my writing and make sure that none of the names make it through in my work?"

Blake didn't think that she would actually be able to fail enough as a writer that she would out one of her sources by accident, but it was up to Ilia to double check. That was one of the things that Blake had placed her trust in her editor for many times over.

it was just another thing that Blake needed to know to be sure that she wasn't going to be placed in a situation that would ruin her job.

Ilia cocked an eyebrow and she looked relatively surprised by the question. She shifted just a little bit, making herself more comfortable before deciding to speak up. "Of course," Blake." Ilia sighed. "Anything for you." She went silent for a long moment before bringing up a question of her own. "What was it like meeting with the Schnee Sisters?"

Blake took in a deep breath, trying to steel herself. How was she really supposed to answer that sort of question? Her meetings with Weiss had ranged anywhere from awkward to deeply personal, and that was something that Blake didn't think she could really explain. Blake was at a point where she was starting to really care about Weiss.

And that was something that she was going to have to fight to keep divorced from her writing and her explanations. She didn't want for Ilia to find out that she had brought the heiress home the night before, or anything after that. She didn't need anyone knowing about how she liked it when Weiss wrapped her arms around her waist while she drove them home.

Especially not when it had the chance of making things get worse and worse.

"It was interesting." Blake answered, holding her head high and giving the little explanation that she could. "Weiss is more willing to talk than Winter was, but they like to talk about different things. Winter likes to talk about the business and the business alone."

"And Weiss?"

Blake swallowed. "Weiss is more likely to talk about how things go with regard to the personal family business." That was one of the things that she didn't want to expand on. "I don't think that i'll be able to get through to Whitley, regardless."

"So you trust what both of them have told you?"

"I do."

"And you have your hands tied because most of what you _have_ discussed is off the record, isn't it?"

"Exactly." Blake mumbled. "I'm going to write what I'm able to while keeping things believable. I'm not going to make things worse for them though."

"What could possibly be bad for them?" Ilia asked, her face screwing up just slightly. "They must have everything-"

"it's not that simple." Blake cut Ilia off. "I won't get into the specifics, but you have to trust me on that."

Ilia cocked her head to the side, and her eyes narrowed significantly as she very obviously tried to figure out what was going with Blake. No matter what, Blake refused to let anymore spill than she had already let out into the open.

"I'll trust you." Ilia finally said, sitting up a little bit straighter and doing her best to relax. "I just need to know that you're going to be delivering for The Fang. You don't want the twins or Khan on your back, and I don't want them on my back either." She hesitated for a long moment. "And besides, you know that if-"

" _Yes._ " Blake snapped. "I know. I'm not going to let this fall apart. The last thing that i want is for him to get assigned to my job."

"I'm not going to let them just do it if I can," Ilia sighed, reaching out and patting Blake's hand in a way that managed to be comforting. Consoling. "I don't like him any more than you do. I know that our reasons are different, but…" Her voice trailed off. "I can't do it alone, Blake."

"I know." Blake replied. "I'm going to do my best to do my part. I just need some more time, and then you'll have a story."

Ilia took a deep breath and finally pulled her hand away. "I know." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You've never let me down before."

Blake tried hard not to react too much or let her worry over that statement show. She knew just as well as Ilia did that she had definitely let Ilia down in the past. It was just that the two of them were smart enough to keep work and personal business separate.

"Thank you." Blake whispered back, doing her absolute best to ignore the uncomfortable stirring down in the pit of her stomach.


	10. all the comforts of home

Weiss climbed into the rental car that was sitting outside of Schnee Manor, prepared for the day to come and still worrying about her conversation with Whitley that had occurred the previous morning. If she was being terribly honest, it had done quite a bit to throw her off.

No matter how much or how hard she tried _not_ to think about it, and the things that Whitley implied, it was impossible. It was always there, creeping up from the back of her consciousness. Always there to distract her with worries or possibilities or _what ifs._ The fact that she was still being kept in a situation where she had to keep a lot of secrets had a lot to do with that.

Luckily for her, she had her sister, and the two of them had made plans for how to spend their day. To Weiss' knowledge, the two of them only had a day or two left together before Winter was ultimately going to end up being whisked away from Atlas again so that she can do whatever it is that's so secret she does for work. It hurt knowing that Winter would have to go, but Weiss hadn't been expecting for this arrangement to stick at all.

That would have been too simple, or too ideal, or too unrealistic.

Winter looked over at her. For the first time in a long time, when Weiss saw her sister she realized that Winter looked relaxed. She had her hair down, and was dressed in a pair of pants, a good shirt, and a comfortable looking dark blue cardigan. This wasn't a Winter that was expecting to get called up for work at any second, or looking to impress.

This was just Weiss' older sister, and Weiss was glad that she'd decided to bring an extra set of clothes with her. It was all too easy to end up as being overdressed, and Weiss was sure that all she would need to do was change her top and she'd match her sister just fine.

"Hello." Weiss greeted Winter as she settled into the passenger's seat.

"Good morning, Weiss." Winter said, smiling as she pulled away from the Schnee Manor, coming off as all too calm. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to get coffee before…"

"Coffee sounds wonderful." Weiss replied, smiling up at her sister. "We should just try to get that done before we go to the hospital."

"Of course." Winter replied, holding her head high and driving them back towards the city center. "I don't expect to get to stay there for long to see father, but it's the least that we can do." She hesitated for a moment, her voice trailing off. "Regardless of how we feel about him." The words were bitten out, frustrated and angry. Weiss couldn't blame her sister for saying them the way that she had.

Weiss nodded, and she desperately wanted to be able to suffocate the aching feeling that built up in her chest at that. There were so many things that she wanted to be able to tell her sister, and desperately so.

But it wasn't simple. None of this ever had been, and that was something that both of them were more than well aware of at that time in their lives.

"I don't blame you for leaving, you know." Weiss said, keeping her voice down. "You seem happy in the military."

"I… am." Winter smiled slightly, perking up a bit. "Ironwood's a good employer, and he's kind to me. And I know for a fact that he's broken more than a few regs to make sure that I'm comfortable there."

"I know." Weiss blinked. "I'm just glad that you're happy there. Things here haven't been… great."

"Is that why you left for Vale?" Winter asked, holding her head up high.

"It was." Weiss confirmed. "But there was more to it than that. And now it's just more complicated than ever."

Winter raised an eyebrow, but she didn't pull her attention away from the road. "How so?"

And that was a question that was enough to make Weiss pause, at least for a moment. It reminded her of what it had been like talking to Whitley the day before. The lie that she'd had to weave in order to protect herself and Winter.

It was a lie that Weiss really didn't want to have to expand on, but she could try.

"For one, Whitley thinks that I'm seeing Neptune Vasilias now." Weiss sighed, shifting in her seat. Honesty was the best policy with Winter. "And yesterday he told me that he had a meeting with the board. One that I hadn't heard anything about."

Winter nodded. "So you're worried that he's playing to get you out of the company?" And _oh_ , how Weiss was grateful that the detail about her supposed relationship wasn't what Winter had decided to focus or expand on.

"It is." Weiss replied, sitting up tall and craning her neck to check how the traffic was looking. Why she felt the need to do that, she wasn't sure. "The timing and the fact that I didn't even know was just… suspicious."

"And I would assume that you haven't spoken to mother about it." Winter sighed. "Seeing as she doesn't have anything to do with the company these days. Or the family, for that matter." Winter sounded exactly as bitter about it as Weiss knew she felt.

"That's correct." Weiss murmured, blinking. "Right now I'm kind of feeling like..." Her voice trailed off, and Weiss thought hard for the first time to figure out what she was really feeling about the situation that she'd been thrust into. Of course she was feeling like she had been left out in the cold to some degree, but there was so much more to it than that. It wasn't just about a family name and a company.

"I feel like I have been held onto as an heiress as a way to make Father look good." She finally finished, because that was really what it came down to. She didn't know how many times she'd been dangled as a nice thing to look at. When she was young, it had always been in pageantry and performances, and now it was still that way to a degree, just her own successes could be used to add to the performative factor. "I mean..." She paused, her voice trailing off. "I did almost the same thing that you did, just without the part where I went to work for someone else. I left Atlas, and I left the family behind."

"You think that he would have disowned you for those choices?"

"I do."

Winter didn't say anything, but she did reach over for Weiss and gently took Weiss' hand in hers, gentle and loving. "You know that I don't blame you for leaving Atlas." She said, mirroring what Weiss had already said. "You decided to go and find more about yourself, and that is admirable."

Weiss grimaced, because she really wasn't so sure that admirable was necessarily the word to describe what she had done. Selfish felt like it would be a more reasonable examinations of her actions. After all, that had been why she'd chosen Vale ultimately. She'd been selfish and she'd wanted to go off and do her own thing without her parents or brother breathing down her neck the entire time.

"I just don't know that it was the right choice now." Weiss sighed. "I've been talking to Blake a lot, and it's helped me to figure out some of my feelings on the company, but I can't help but feeling like..."

"Like?"

"Like there is something in our family, and its so toxic that nobody would ever want to even _speak_ the name Schnee if they knew it." She paused. "Most people don't know that Father isn't a Schnee by birth, or that you were disowned for daring to go against his wishes. They don't know that our mother drinks, or that the only one that likes the way things are is Whitley." Weiss hesitated. "If normal people knew that, what would our lives be like then?"

Winter looked as though she'd been shocked by Weiss' question. She blinked and then stared straight ahead at the road as she tried to make herself concentrate on what she was doing.

There was a long silence that settled over the two of them, and Weiss didn't like it. To her it just meant that her sister was uncomfortable with the topic that she'd just brought up.

It was going to get worse, Weiss was sure of it.

And then Winter finally allowed herself to speak.

"You have been thinking about this a lot, haven't you?"

"I have." Weiss admitted. "I'm just... worried about our family."

Winter nodded. The two of them pulled into the parking lot for the coffee shop that they'd been planning to go to. Weiss ended up sitting there beside her sister for a while.

Neither of them wanted to get out.

"I understand." Winter sighed, looking over at her now. "I don't like what would happen if things got out either."

Weiss nodded, taking in a deep breath as she thought back to her meeting with Blake. The interview that hadn't gone anywhere. The things that she had told Blake that she wasn't supposed to.

She needed to do something to justify herself, and while Blake wasn't quite sure why she felt the need to do that, it was on her mind.

"I think that it would be bad." Weiss sighed. "I've been talking to a member of the press a lot, I know that, but..." She paused. "Blake has never given me a reason to doubt her."

"Has she?"

That wasn't quite right, Weiss realized. There was more that she could give to explain herself. "The only things that she's ever written that were damaging to the company was years before. And she takes us seriously when we say that something is of the record." She paused. "I think that Blake realizes that there would be serious consequences for us if she didn't keep to that."

"Are you sure?" Winter asked, turning to face her more face-on. "This Blake is..."

"I can trust her." Weiss sighed. "If she didn't... I trust her."

Winter nodded, understanding. "I'm not going to ask you about your relationship to Blake Belladonna, Weiss." She said calmly. "But I just need to know that you're going to be staying safe, regardless of what you're doing."

"I am." Weiss answered, holding her head up high. "Thank you for not prying."

"You're welcome." Winter replied, reaching over and pulling the door handle so that it opened. That was enough of a sign on its own, and so Weiss got out along with her sister before the two of them went in to get their coffee.

Soon they would see their father. It was just going to be a matter of letting things go as they needed to.

After a few minutes, Weiss and Winter had their things and the two of them went back to the car and took their seats. The two of them drank their coffees on the way to the hospital.

Weiss was glad for the fact that their original conversation had been left behind. It meant that the two of them were both able to relax before they finally went in to see their father.

The trip up to the hospital room to see him was slow and uninteresting. The check in took no attention whatsoever, and when they finally saw their father, Weiss didn't quite know what to do.

Her father had always been thin and frail looking, even when he was at his most healthy. Now, with him lying in bed with tubes coming out of his throat and attached to so many machines, it was wrong.

He looked like he was going to fall apart at any second, and Weiss hated it.

This was her father, and he was dying.

Weiss looked to Winter and the two of them waited for a little too long before Weiss lowered herself down into the seat beside his bed. It wasn't going to be an ideal situation by any means, but Weiss was willing to make the best of it.

After all, there probably weren't all that many ways for things to get worse on that front.

Weiss couldn't speak for the other situations she found herself embroiled in.

* * *

In a lot of ways, arriving in Kuo Kuana for a visit home was something that Blake had been needing for a _very_ long time. She'd had a ticket booked for a little while, but now it felt like she needed the separation from Atlas more than ever.

Mostly, Blake needed a chance to be able to _think_.

Blake stood outside of her family's home, feeling wholly unsure of what to do with herself before she reached out and knocked on the front door. Normally, this was the sort of visit that she would skip if she didn't feel there was something wrong in her life. It was better for her to be able to keep her distance and for her parents to keep their distances from her.

But talking to Weiss lately had put a lot of things on her mind, and family was at the top of the list. Stress had been piling up on the side, so a trip home had just been… right.

Nervously, Blake reached out and knocked on the door before waiting, bringing her hands together behind her back while she waited.

The door came open a moment later, and Blake saw her smiling mother.

"Blake?" She asked, smiling softly down at her. "What brings you home?" She stepped in, opening her arms and Blake stepped into the hug and felt such relief when her mother's arms closed around her.

"Nothing." Blake said, squeezing her mother slightly. "Is dad home?"

"He's in his study." Her mother responded just as she pulled away. "He'll be so glad to see you. Go and say hello, and I'll put on some tea." WIth that, Blake was kissed on the cheek and ushered off to her own devices.

It was enough to make her feel bad about the fact that she kept her family at such a distance all the time. There was nothing wrong with them, and they had always welcomed her home with open arms. It was just that Blake liked having her space.

She needed to make a point to come home more often when she got a chance, Blake thought to herself as she walked through the halls of their too-large home.

She reached the door to her father's study, and knocked on the doorframe to let him know that she was there.

He picked his head up, and Blake could practically see his ears perk up. "Kali?" He began, turning in his seat slowly before freezing the second that he saw Blake there. All at once, his expression sank into a gentle smile.

"It's just me." Blake said, smiling back at her father. "I missed you."

"Blake." He replied, getting up and out of his chair so quickly that his chair rolled backwards and away from him. He stepped out from behind the desk and watched her "What brings you home?"

"I was just thinking of you and mom a lot." Blake said as she chose to approach her father, stepping into his hug and squeaking when he hugged her a little too tight. He understood and released her, and Blake was soon to take one of the extra chairs in the study. "How are things here?"

"Well, we were missing you for one!" Kali called from the door, stepping into the office for herself. "Everything is good though. Your father's been doing well with his campaign."

"Oh," Blake started, feeling more than a little bit unsure of what she was supposed to say. She'd known that her father was running for office in Kuo Kuana, but the specifics of the situation was something that she wasn't exactly clear on. It also wasn't as though she went home enough that she would know what it was all about. "That's... good."

"It is." Her father replied, smiling gladly. "But I'm so much more interested to hear about how things have been with you. How is Atlas?"

Blake paused, because it was going to be easy enough to explain herself. She could tell them about what she was working on, about the unique situation she was in now. She could tell them about her roommates and how her friends were doing. Really, she didn't even know where to start.

But she had to start somewhere.

"I'm still covering SchneeCorp." Blake started, sitting up tall and straight in her seat. "Right now their owner and CEO is in poor health so I've been kept busy."

Her mother nodded. "And how's that been going?"

"It's been... different." Blake said after hesitating for a too long moment. "I've been doing regular interviews with their heiress. In secret, but… regular."

Both of her parents stared at her, both looking shocked.

"That's..." Kali started, a little bit surprised and clearly taken off guard. "That's amazing, Blake."

Blake smiled softly. "Thank you." She murmured. "It's not so bad."

"I'm sure that whatever you do will be wonderful." Ghira said, his voice surprisingly gentle as he cleared some of his work away from the desk. Just enough so that he was going to be able to keep his business away from his food. "We're proud of you."

"I know." Blake replied, feeling a tug at her heartstrings that she couldn't exactly ignore. She missed her family, and she hadn't exactly realized how bad it had been. She missed them so much. "I just missed you."

Kali seemed to perk up when she heard the sound of a whistle off in another room, and she hurried herself to leave the room. With her gone, Blake was left unsure of what she was supposed to say.

Her father and her had a good relationship for the most part, but it was awkward. It always had been. That didn't mean that she loved him any less though.

Mostly, she wondered why he would still want her in his life when she'd made so many mistakes over the course of her life. Ones that had been able to ruin things eventually.

"So." Ghira said, leaning back in his seat and setting his folded together hands on his stomach. "How are things in Atlas aside from work?"

Blake hesitated. "Work's been most of what I'm doing lately." She said, finding herself fidgeting with a button on her jacket. It wasn't enough to distract her. "Yang's doing well."

"And Ilia?"

"Also doing well." Blake replied, giving her father a skeptical look with narrowed eyes. "She got promoted to editor and seems happy there."

"I'm glad." Ghira said, picking up a pen and balancing it between her fingers. "You and her were always close."

"We... were." Blake said, toying with the possibility of just telling her father the truth about herself and Ilia. She was sure that he wouldn't have any problem with the fact that the two of them had dated for a while. It was just that it was a topic that had never exactly been breached between the two of them. "I don't see her much anymore."

Ghira nodded slowly. "And so now you're spending time with a Schnee heiress?"

"I am."

"And what's that like?" Ghira asked, looking at her with a softness in his eyes and expression that Blake couldn't get past. He was curious, but he also knew that she had done things in the past to hurt that family. He knew that perfectly well, and Blake didn't quite know how to explain the whole of it.

"It's not like anything I've done before." Blake explained herself. "Weiss is surprisingly nice, all things considered."

"And this Weiss is the heiress?"

"She is." Blake said, blinking. She realized then that to refer to Weiss by first name alone was probably overstepping her bounds. Not just in person, but when it came to others she had to be careful. "I'm not really allowed to write about her as the heiress though."

"Is that the case?" Ghira asked, watching her. "Everything is off the record?"

"For the most part." Blake sighed. "It's frustrating but..." She paused. She could tell the truth if she wanted to, let her father know that Weiss was more of a friend than anything. She could tell him that everything the two of them discussed was strictly meant to be kept in secret. "I don't mind it so much." Blake explained.

"Does this Weiss... know about what you normally write?" Ghira asked, leaning in towards her just slightly. "Because I can imagine that it's not something she wants to think about."

"She does." Blake confirmed. "And I've been doing my best to keep from doing my usual work. If I can stay on good terms with Weiss, then I'll be able to have a better working relationship with SchneeCorp in the future."

"That sounds wonderful." Her mother piped up, stepping into the room with a tray in her hands. Sure enough, setting there on top of it there were three cups of tea. Sitting beside it, was a small bowl of sugar cubes. "I'm so glad that things are working out for you in Atlas."

She set the tray down on the desk between them before taking her own seat. "Although, I hope you'll come home to see us a bit more often." Kali said, smiling. "I doubt you want to stay up there during the winter."

"I'll try coming home more often." Blake said, blinking. "I know that it's been a while, but my work lately has had me... well, dealing with someone that's close to losing one of her parents." She paused. "It made me feel like I needed to come back and see you."

"I'm so sorry, Blake." Kali said, reaching out and resting a gentle hand on her knee. "You know that you're always welcome here. You don't even have to call first. Your bed is always ready for you."

"I know." Blake replied, blinking and picking up her cup of tea. "I always end up missing home, but ATlas isn't that bad to live in."

"Really now?" Ghira asked. "Even with the corruption?"

"Even with the corruption." Blake sighed. "It's not so bad most of the time."

Ghira sighed, and he sounded at the very least like he was unsure of what to make of what Blake had was expecting to hear some sort of further questioning on the topic, and was pleasantly surprised when her father didn't go in that direction.

"Either way," He said, keeping his voice down. "As long as you think that Atlas is making you happy, and you feel you are doing good there…" He smiled across at Blake, as soft and gentle as ever. "Then we're proud of you."

Blake didn't like how she felt like she needed to force on a smile. She didn't know that she was doing any good in Atlas, but dwelling on it didn't necessarily do her any good.

In the end, it was going to depend on what happened with Weiss.

After that, Blake didn't know what she was going to have to pay attention to. Hopefully, she would be able to fall back into the norms of her job and move on with her life.


	11. clarity

Weiss sat in Klein's car outside of the airport, watching the skies from her window because she knew that her sister's plane was about to leave. She didn't want to miss it, since it felt like a bigger goodbye than it was, and so she was just waiting for Winter to leave for wherever she was going next. After that, she and Klein were going to be sure to go back to the manor, and Weiss knew that she would be once again left to her own devices.

It wasn't an ideal situation by any means, but that was something that didn't necessarily bother Weiss. Home was still home, even if she ended up feeling foreign and wrong when she was there. At least now she was going to be able to stop worrying about hiding her sister's presence.

That wasn't to say that she was glad that Winter was gone. Weiss couldn't know when she was going to be able to see Winter again for sure, and so that was stressful in its own right.

But she'd gotten to see plenty of her sister. The two of them had spent more time together than they had been able to in years.

Winter was going to be fine. Weiss was going to move on with her life, doing her best to make sure that she wasn't pushed out of the company. When the time came, she was going to be sure to be available to the Board of Directors if they needed her.

And if Blake needed her, Weiss wasn't sure that she would be opposed to another meeting.

In the last week or two, Blake had gotten more and more scarce. The last time that Weiss had talked to her properly had been that night together in Blake's apartment. The reports that Blake had put out since then had been few in numbers, and usually offered very little that was new.

That didn't bother Weiss as much as it could have, but it did make her worry. She couldn't know whether something had happened, or whether Blake was just keeping a distance from her. Regardless of the true situation, Weiss didn't consider any of it to be to her liking. Not when things were still so complicated with her own family and she was without any reliable sources to talk to that weren't directly connected.

Weiss loved Klein, and her mother, and her brother, but she needed someone that was separate from the family in as many ways as possible. Blake had fit the bill, but now Weiss wasn't so sure.

A part of her even felt used, as foolish as it was.

But in the end, that wasn't going to matter, Weiss figured. In the end, she and Blake were going to go their separate ways because that was what their lives dictated.

And she was ready to leave the airport, then. She looked up to the sky and watched as the plane that carried her sister left, going over her head and flying off to wherever in the world where Winter was going to end up being needed. They'll see each other again, Weiss is sure of that.

"Klein, could you-" Weiss began to speak up but she froze when she watched a familiar figure leave the airport. Blake was there, looking down at her phone (no doubt looking to figure out whether or not she had missed an email). She was pulling a bag behind her, a relatively small one.

And Weiss couldn't help but roll the window down and try to get the reporter's attention. It was the least that she could do, right?

"Blake Belladonna." Weiss said, holding her head high as she looked out the open window at the woman.

Blake heard her and perked up, looking away from her phone and then staring at Weiss in surprise. She hesitated, looking back over her shoulder like she was looking for something but then sighing.

Without too much hesitation, Blake began her approach and Weiss waited patiently. She set her hands down in her lap, because at least this way she could avoid any strange reactions.

"Weiss." Blake greeted her, giving a very slight bow as she got close. "What are you doing here?"

"Winter just flew out." Weiss explained herself. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I just flew in." Blake sighed, reaching up so that she could brush her dark hair away from her face. "Waiting for my ride home now."

"Cab?"

"Yes." Blake sighed.

Weiss hesitated then looked to the front of the car. "Klein?" She asked, leaning forward just the slightest bit. "Would you mind taking on another passenger?"

Klein hesitated. He looked back at Weiss and raised an eyebrow, just doing his best to check that this was indeed what she wanted. "Are you sure that you want to, Miss Schnee?"

"I am, Klein." Weiss answered, holding her head high. "It's been awhile since I've gotten to speak to Blake."

Klein seemed to stare at her warily, but after a moment he finally sighed. "Very well." He offered, unlocking the car door with a quiet thump. "Miss Belladonna, you may join Miss Schnee if you wish."

Blake blinked, and she looked like she was in a complete state of disbelief. She smiled though, and walked around the car so that she could sit beside Weiss.

Once she was in beside her, Weiss hesitated for a moment before looking to Klein. "We can leave now." She announced, and the man took the order well enough. He started the car, and Weiss took the chance to relax a little bit more and talk to Blake.

"So." Weiss started, looking the reporter down. "Where have you been?'

"I went home to Kuo Kuana for a bit." Blake said simply enough. "I wasn't in much of a mood for work."

"That's understandable." Weiss said, smiling softly. "I was just wondering where you'd gone." She hesitated, but then decided to bring another question up. "Are you going anywhere particular?"

"No." Blake replied calmly. "I was planning to just go back to the apartment and unpack."

"Right." Weiss answered. She thought hard- there had to be something that she could do or offer to make this less awkward. Lunch perhaps? If Blake was getting off a plane, she was probably hungry.

"How would it sound to you for us to get something to eat?" Weiss asked, cocking her head to the side slightly to talk. "Maybe we could use it as a chance for us to catch up." Weiss was fairly certain that the request was going to end up being forward of her. But, it was also that she could think to suggest at that point.

Blake hesitated, reaching for her wallet like she wanted to check inside and figure out whether she'd be able to afford a meal. Weiss leaned in towards her and held a hand over Blake's.

"I can pay." Weiss offered, smiling across at her. "It wouldn't be a problem."

And Weiss wasn't surprised when Blake stared across at her with disbelief on her face. However, Blake just nodded and pulled her hands away from her pockets in an attempt to relax again.

"Lunch sounds lovely." Blake said finally. "So does a cup of tea."

"I prefer coffee." Weiss said, smiling as she leaned back in her seat. "Klein, could you take us to the Platinum Swan for lunch?"

"Of course." Klein called back to her. "Would you like for me to call ahead and set a reservation for yourself and Miss Belladonna?"

Weiss felt her face heat up quite a bit over the question because somehow putting it in the terms of needing a reservation felt different. She glanced over at Blake, and the way that Blake was looking at her was only enough to make her blush darker. And that was embarrassing in itself.

But she needed to give Klein an answer regardless of how nervous it made her feel.

"That would be wonderful." Weiss answered her family's butler. "Thank you."

Klein looked away from her then and picked up his phone to make a call.

Weiss coughed quietly and looked to Blake. "I hope that this isn't too forward?"

"It's definitely not what I was expecting." Blake replied, also doing her best to keep her voice down. "I'm going to feel out of place."

Weiss frowned, because there was the issue of formality, but if Blake was with her then surely she would be able to get in just fine. Klein was also sure to request a private dining space for the two of them.

"I'm sure it'll be okay." Weiss said, smiling at Blake encouragingly. "And if it isn't then we can find somewhere where it is."

She reached up and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. She was still blushing, and Blake was sure to have noticed by now. But as things stood, the two of them didn't have the most privacy. Later on they would though.

Blake nodded, letting herself get more comfortable. She looked like she felt like she was out of place. Weiss wished that she had some way to make Blake more comfortable, but that didn't seem to be so easy. Not when the two of them were so far apart from each other in their backgrounds and standing.

"I'm surprised that you would be willing to do that much." Blake mumbled. "It doesn't have that much for you to gain."

Weiss hesitated. It wasn't as though there was that much good that would come out of it for Weiss on a business standpoint.

Other points of view, however, Blake offered quite a bit.

"That's quite alright." Weiss said, hoping that she would be able to distract Blake away from how things were. That would make it better. Easier. "I just wanted to talk to you is all."

Blake nodded and leaned back in her seat, busying herself with her emails as she always did. Weiss had reason to suspect that it had to do with the fact that Blake was in a situation where she didn't necessarily have all of her supplies for her job.

That was fine, Weiss thought. If Blake needed help, then they would be able to get by.

The ride didn't take long before the car reached The Platinum Swan. Klein said his goodbyes and then Weiss and Blake were on their way in. It occured to Weiss as she requested to be brought to their table that it would end up looking somewhat strange.

But, if it did, the server that led them back didn't comment on any of it.

As Weiss had been hoping, Klein had requested a table in the back, and it was already set and ready for the two of them. Well out of the line of sight of any patrons, and in a quiet area.

That was more than she could have hoped for. Before when she and Blake had dinner at a place like this, Weiss had used it for a dressing down of sorts.

Now, it was different.

The two of them slid into their seats on opposite sides of the table.

Weiss made quick work to slip out of her jacket and hang it over the back of her seat. Understanding, Blake did the same and revealed that she was just wearing a black t shirt under her jacket.

If it hadn't been for Weiss' presence, she was sure that Blake would have been turned away long before.

"You can get whatever you want off of the menu." Weiss offered, gingerly picking up her menu up and opening it. "I know that it may seem like it would be too pricey, but that's fine."

Blake nodded and picked up her own menu, opening it and going pale almost immediately when she saw it. "It's... very expensive."

"I can afford it." Weiss said with a slight shrug and a smile. "Don't restrain yourself, really."

Blake nodded and sat up straight before staring Weiss in the eye.

"I'm not sure that I'm comfortable here." Blake said, leaning back in her seat a little bit but not by much. Like she was afraid that going any further would end up putting her in a worse place than she already was in. "But if you insist."

Weiss hesitated.

"Would you... rather go somewhere else?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow just slightly. "Because if you'd prefer that I could call Klein and get him to come and get us."

Blake's face began to change colors again, redding slightly as she looked across at Weiss. "You... would be willing to do that?"

"I would." Weiss said, sighing. "Of course there's always the chance that we run into too much attention, but I would still like a chance to speak to you privately later on."

"Of course." Blake said. She hesitated for a long time, and Weiss was left with the creeping feeling that this was going to only get worse and worse. " If you wouldn't mind."

"Very well." Weiss said, closing her menu and setting it down on the table. "Do you have somewhere that you would prefer?"

"I think so." Blake replied, smiling back at her. "But I would like the chance to stop at my apartment first, if that would be alright."

"Of course." Weiss said, smiling as she got up to her feet and began to pull on her jacket. She tried not to focus too much on the way that it felt like Blake was staring at her. That was something that she was going to be able to work past, Weiss was sure of it. "We can go whenever you're ready."

Blake nodded and got up, doing the same as Weiss did and then the two of them started on their way out of the private room. Their waiter stared at them in disbelief, and Weiss flushed before reaching into her bag for her wallet.

"I'm sorry for the trouble." Weiss said as the two of them made their way out.

When they got outside, Weiss reached for her phone and called Klein. The conversation between the two of them didn't last long at all before the Schnee car was pulling up in front of the restaurant.

Weiss and Blake climbed in together, and Klein was glad to just drive off towards Blake's apartment.

The two of them departed there, and Blake decided to stop just as they got out of Klein's car.

"Klein." Blake said, catching Weiss by surprise. "If you want, you can call the day done."

"But Miss Schnee-"

"I can get her home." Blake offered. "If that won't be too much of a problem."

Weiss stood behind Blake and lowered her head. She was blushing a little harder than she would have liked. "It's alright." She said, stepping in just slightly. "Thank you, Klein."

Klein hesitated and looked between the two of them. Weiss couldn't help feeling like she was under a microscope. Whatever was going on in his head, Weiss wasn't sure that she really wanted to know. But the squat man sighed and nodded.

"Of course, Miss Schnee." He said quietly. "Be sure to let me know when you've gotten back to the mansion."

"I will." Weiss sighed as she watched Klein climbed into the car and make his way off. She and Blake stood there for a little bit longer than they strictly needed to, before Blake finally decided that it was time for her to take the lead.

"So." Blake said, shouldering her bag. "Now that he's gone, you can come in."

"Right." Weiss whispered as she turned and followed after Blake. The two of them didn't say all that much, but the entire time Weiss was still left with an uncomfortable churning feeling down in her stomach that she wasn't going to be able to ignore or forget.

* * *

The ride across the city had been easy and comfortable, and Blake was loathe to admit that having Weiss pressed up against her back was nice, in its own way. She hadn't been thinking in terms of how that would make her feel.

But it was fine, Blake thought.

She couldn't really pretend as though she hadn't stared a little too long at Weiss earlier. She couldn't act like Weiss wasn't attractive at all, or that she hadn't thought about the heiress a few times when they'd been separate.

Weiss was kind, and she had only managed to go further than she'd needed to that day. She hadn't needed to give Blake a free ride home, she hadn't needed to offer Blake dinner.

And yet Weiss was still there.

Blake didn't even really know where she and Weiss were going to end up going. There was something that told her that going out for fast food (which would have been Blake's plan as soon as she got home anyways) wouldn't be the best choice with Weiss. Weiss probably had never even touched the stuff, Blake guessed. Or maybe that was incorrect and Weiss wouldn't care.

It occurred to Blake deep in the back of her mind that it was entirely likely that Weiss had chosen somewhere fancy for a reason. Like she was doing her best to treat Blake, or perhaps even trying to butter her up for something later down the line. Blake sincerely hoped that it was a case of the latter.

A thought occurred to her, and Blake turned off of the road that she was on. If she went the right direction, she could bring Weiss downtown and the two of them could just get something there. The two of them could talk around and talk, and once they had everything together...

Blake thought of the waterfront where she and Weiss had sat a few weeks earlier. They'd gone there after going to a fancy restaurant that night too. Maybe it was just a place where the two of them could go and talk, since last time they had certainly been able to get their privacy like Weiss had wanted.

And that didn't sound like such a good idea.

At her back Blake felt the slightest shift of Weiss, and tried hard not to go making too much of it. If Weiss was trying to say something to her, then it would have surely been drowned out by the sound of the motorcycle engine. That didn't matter though.

The two of them were going to have plenty of time to talk, Blake thought to herself as she pulled into a no-meter parking spot and parked them. She hesitated for a moment, just looking back over her shoulder to see that Weiss was there and fine.

"We're here." Blake announced. She waited a moment, letting Weiss get off first before following. Blake pulled her helmet off and then her hair out of her ponytail and watched as Weiss did the same, though with a bit more fuss.

"Downtown?" Weiss asked, looking at up as she did her best to get her hair back into the intricate high ponytail that it normally would have been. Something was wrong, and without a good way to check, Weiss just gave up after a minute, opting to pull her hair down out of its style and letting it hang free. "Really?"

"Really." Blake responded, looking down the street. There were a few passersby, a couple talking to each other, a couple of teenagers walking in a crowd and laughing. A small family on an evening stroll. "I figured that it would be a nice change of pace."

"I don't-" Weiss started but clamped her mouth shut just as quick. Her blue eyes flickered away from Blake, and Blake couldn't help the thought that Weiss felt nervous. Weiss quite possibly felt even more nervous than Blake had felt at The Platinum Swan. "I can't say that this is what I would normally do."

"I know." Blake smiled, gesturing to the sidewalk. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Right." Weiss said. She took a few nervous steps forward and stepped up onto the sidewalk. A moment later, Blake was at her side and the two of them were walking together. "So was there somewhere in particular that you wanted to go?"

"There is." Blake admitted, since she could practically smell their destination already. "I hope you don't mind roadside stands."

"I... can't say that I've been to many of them." Weiss sighed. "I'm sorry."

Blake hesitated, and she felt a slight twinge of guilt. Weiss had never had something like this, so that meant that it was going to be up to her to make sure that Weiss got the best possible experience that day. She just smiled down at the heiress and kept on walking. "I promise that it'll be fine." Blake said calmly. "People probably won't notice us too much..."

She paused, because something occurred to Blake that she probably was going to need to keep in mind. Weiss was still wearing her nice clothes as she always did, and when they'd stopped at the apartment Blake had decided to change into something a bit nicer anyways. She'd been dressed for comfort on a plane, not for fashion. Now she was dressed and ready for actual time spent together.

It probably would end up looking like she and Weiss were on some sort of date, and that wasn't such a bad thing, was it? Blake was sure that it wasn't. It had to be fine. Although...

She looked over at Weiss. There were still so many things that the two of them didn't know about each other. "It might look like we're on a date." Blake said matter-of-factly, but she decided that if that was a conversation they were going to have she needed to be as relaxed about it as possible. It occurred to her that she didn't know whether or not Weiss was seeing anyone, or if it could be a problem if the two of them were seen together. Blake was sure that it probably wouldn't be great for Weiss on at least some level, but she needed to be sure. "Is that okay with you?"

Weiss hesitated, her blue eyes flickering to the street almost nervously. "I'm... not really sure." Weiss admitted and she sounded almost sad. "If it got to my brother it wouldn't be great, but..." She paused. "I don't know that I want to talk about it that much."

"I'm listening."

"Off the record?"

"Off the record." Blake affirmed, because what else could she really do?

Weiss sighed and she hugged herself, falling into step beside Blake and looking up at the sky instead. She was paying enough attention that she could just keep walking, that was something that Blake was sure of. It was just that Weiss was clearly very nervous about _something_.

"So my brother thinks that I'm seeing someone." Weiss began to explain, and she sounded so annoyed and exasperated that she felt a pang of sympathy. "He noticed that i was spending a lot of nights away from the mansion and when he asked I needed..." Weiss paused. "I needed to cover up that Winter was in the city and that I was spending time with you. So now he thinks that I'm dating one of my friends."

Blake felt a weird sinking feeling in her chest, but she couldn't put a finger on why. Something about it just felt wrong and disappointing, and Blake didn't like any of it. "Which friend?"

"Neptune Vasilias." Weiss said matter of factly. "And it's not like he and I have never dated before, it's just that..." She shook her head. "I don't see him that way anymore. He's one of my best friends, but..." Weiss flushed red, and Blake felt herself get a little bit more nervous. There was a catch. Of course there was a catch. "But I'm not interested. And he doesn't know that my family think we're dating and it's just a mess." Weiss sighed. "Especially when I want to see someone else."

"Am I allowed to ask?" Blake asked, and it occurred to her that _that_ specific question was all but surely overstepping. It was too personal. Something that a close friend would ask another close friend and Blake didn't think that she and Weiss had that at all.

The question certainly managed to leave an impression, if the way that Weiss stopped dead in her tracks was any indicator. The heiress stood there under a streetlight, which shined down onto her and made her white hair light up in a way that was too striking for the area.

Weiss was blushing, and Blake was sure that she had only managed to make a serious mistake.

She swallowed and looked away from Weiss for a moment to try and collect her thoughts before she spoke up again. "I'm sorry." Blake sighed, finally looking back at Weiss more directly. "I know that I was probably asking for a bit too much, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Weiss said quietly, reaching up and wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to comfort herself a little bit better. Blake felt bad, because she should have been doing more to apologize, but Weiss was just taking it. "I don't know that I want to talk about it... well, specifically."

"Well," Blake said, stepping in close and offering the heiress her hand. She didn't miss the way that Weiss' visage reddened even further at the gesture. "I'm not going to make you tell me."

"But-" Weiss began to protest, taking Blake's hand and stepping in a little bit closer, almost like Blake was managing to act as her escort. Blake couldn't help but feel like she was trying to do things that were meant for people from a social class far above her own. Far above anything that she could ever accomplish, even if things turned out well for her family. "It's so complicated."

"That's fine." Blake said, turning and gently leading Weiss by the hand. Weiss followed and fell into step beside Blake, and Blake was surprised when the heiress actually wrapped her arm around Blake's. It was an attempt to keep the two of them close, but it meant something else. "I won't force it."

Weiss' grip tightened just slightly, but she kept her head up and didn't look back over at Blake. "Thank you." She said quietly. "I trust you, Blake. More than I thought I would."

"Thanks." Blake replied, smiling back at the heiress and staring at her out of the corner of her eye. "I just want to tell you that whoever it is, I'm not going to judge you for it."

Weiss paused, her eyes widening and that pink on her cheeks still refusing to go down at all. "Even if it's a woman?"

"Even if it's a woman." Blake said, feeling some odd feeling rising in her chest that was going to be hard to ignore. "I used to date my editor, so I wouldn't be in a good place to judge."

"Even if it's..." Weiss' voice trailed off. "Even if it's you?"

And that was enough to make Blake stop dead in her tracks. When Blake took the moment to stop, so did Weiss, and that told her more than Blake had ever been expecting out of the experience with Weiss.

The two of them stared at each other, both looking the other in the eyes, and neither of them knowing quite what they were supposed to say.

"I wouldn't judge you for that." Blake finally said, swallowing hard and doing her best to work through the quiet and the awkwardness. "I'm-"

"I'm sorry." Weiss cut Blake off, pulling herself away and wrapping her arms around herself defensively. Weiss was afraid. That wasn't good, and Blake had a feeling that it was going to be a problem later. "I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine." Blake stopped Weiss. "Really. I don't mind."

That made Weiss pause. It created a recognition of something that Blake hadn't considered before, and hadn't really considered. The two of them were going to have a lot to talk about later on, that was something that Blake could be considerate towards.

"You… mean that?" Weiss asked, staring at Blake with her blue eyes wide. "That you don't mind."

"I mean it." Blake confirmed, slowing down as they got closer and closer to their location. "I don't mind."

Weiss and her both stopped, just outside of the tiny restaurant that the two of them were going to be using that day. Blake reached for the door and pulled it open, holding it there for Weiss. "You first." Blake said calmly and Weiss smiled back at her before stepping inside and made herself comfortable at a small table.

Blake followed her in and sat down there across from Weiss.

Maybe, just maybe, this could be considered a date.

And if it was going to be called a date, then Blake didn't know what to make of it. Either way, spending it with Weiss wasn't such a bad thing.


	12. live and let live

Their dinner ended up being surprisingly good, despite everything. It had managed to outdo every expectation that Weiss had come into it with, and afterwards she found herself not quite wanting to split away from Blake. The easy thing would have been to ask for a ride back to her father's mansion, and then Weiss would be able to move on with her life from there.

However, as things stood, Weiss didn't want to _do_ that.

Why would she have wanted to go back to the mansion and misery, when she had Blake, who was real and tangible and didn't feel like she existed merely to act as a controller?

For those two reasons alone, Weiss was sitting by the riverbank with Blake, the same way that they had several weeks before. There was something about it that was heartbreakingly close to being romantic. It must have been the way that they were able to be there, just out of sight from the road, and the night air, and the cool breeze on her skin.

It must have been the way that she and Blake would both feel so content to be able to slip out of their jackets every time that they stopped. Then there was also the fact that Weiss and Blake were sharing a snack together. Both of them had decided to get small bowls of ice cream.

Blake had gone with something more decadent with bits of cookies in it, but Weiss had been content with simple vanilla.

It was nice.

"Thank you for doing this tonight." Weiss said quietly, facing out towards the river as she sat there beside her friend. Possibly more than friend. Whatever it was that she and Blake were these days. "It's been fun."

"Yeah," Blake replied, poking at her bowl of ice cream with a plastic spoon. "It has been. I can't say that I would have ever expected to do something like this with you."

"I feel the same way." Weiss said with a soft smile. There was still so much that the two of them were going to need to talk about. It was going to be something that would shake the world. It would introduce worries into their world that neither could get past. "It's been so... different.."

Blake set her bowl down at her side and turned to face Weiss directly. Weiss took the cue and faced her friend as well. "I know that the two of us should probably... talk about this."

There was a moment where Weiss hesitated and then she spoke up for herself. "I didn't mean to put all of that on you," Weiss explained quietly, feeling some sick worry rising up in her chest that she wasn't going to be able to simply ignore. "But I did mean it. I like being around you a lot, and while I shouldn't do that..."

She felt her face heat up. She leaned back against the fence and tried to find more comfort in her position and ignore Blake's presence at her side.

But she was shocked out of her thoughts by the feeling of Blake's hand setting down on top of her own. Weiss' eyes snapped open and her gaze went straight to her companion.

In the dark of the night, with only the moon and the streetlights there to cast any lighting on either of them, Blake looked beautiful. She had golden eyes that looked even more striking, her black hair was framing her face. There was still that light danger on her face that Weiss couldn't just ignore.

Blake looked at her and smiled.

Weiss couldn't help but smile back. Their hands were still touching, and Weiss didn't exactly have the desire to pull back from her.

"I like you too." Blake said calmly, her voice still holding that same cool tone that it always did. The familiarity of it all made it so much easier for Weiss to deal with, and she was sure that it was something that she was never going to actually be able to express her gratitude for. "In that way."

Weiss nodded, and there was still that question dancing on the tip of her tongue. She needed to know whether or not it was going to be something that the two of them could do. If she and Blake were to try and fall into any sort of non-professional relationship, then it would surely put them both at risk in some way. For Weiss, it would be a matter of how her family would treat it. They would see her relationship to Blake as wrong, and for so many different reasons.

It would be about how they were both women, or how Weiss was supposed to be dating Neptune Vasilias. They would make it about class, or they would make it about Blake's occupation. None of that was anything that she wanted to necessarily find herself bowing to, and Weiss wasn't going to let that happen as easily as someone would have liked.

All that she had to do was make the offer to make that a reality.

Blake would be able to take the wheels on the rest... right?

So Weiss let out a quiet sigh, and clenched her hands into fists at her sides and in her skirt because she couldn't think of anything else to do. She needed to say something, offer something, let this be a reality. And Blake was there, waiting for it.

Weiss looked the reporter dead in the eye, and then allowed herself to speak.

"If we both feel the same way, then we should probably try to do something about it, shouldn't we?"

"Yes," Blake sighed, leaning back in her seat. "We probably should, but it would be..."

" _Risky_."

"For _both_ of us." Blake finished for Weiss, knowing that the two of them were both following the same train of thought. "I think that I can do it as long as I can keep all of this segregated from my work- write the right way, and don't let it slip to anyone."

Weiss didn't know whether or not that was actually going to be possible for Blake. It certainly couldn't have been easy.

Weiss nodded along, at a bit of a loss for words. "I'm going to have to find a way to hide it from my family." She said quietly. "I know for a fact that my father won't approve, and the others in my family think that I'm seeing Neptune…"

"I think you're going to need to talk to him sometime about that." Blake suggested calmly. "Maybe you should invite him up to Atlas to play it up, and then…"

Weiss hesitated. The two of them hadn't talked about anything really personal in a while. She wanted to be able to go about this with Blake. If she was going to call Neptune to come to Atlas, then she was also going to have to expect that Coco would get dragged along as well.

If that happened, then Weiss was going to end up left with a full plate to handle.

"I could." Weiss admitted with a quiet sigh. "Neptune should be fine with it, but I'm just worried about how my family will go about it. I'm sure that I can keep it from them easily enough, but there's still so much at risk that we'll have to handle."

Blake nodded along in understanding. "Weiss, I'm going to be here for you. If you're worried about me getting jealous over your obviously fake fake boyfriend, you should know that I won't. It's fake. I'm not going to worry."

And that was really all that there was to it, wasn't it? Weiss thought to herself. She and Blake could fall into their relationship, move on with their lives, and see where it all went at the end of the day. There was no way that they weren't going to be able to forget about so much of this.

But Blake was smart, and she had never shown herself to be anything less than kind when it came to Weiss.

Weiss looked the woman directly in the eyes. "You know that if Neptune is going to be here, he's going to be likely to bring along another friend or two with him." Weiss explained calmly. "And that most of my friends come from situations that one could say are similar to mine. Myself, Coco Adel, Neptune... we're all the rich heirs of rich companies."

"Are they anything like you?"

"It depends what you mean by that." Weiss replied, blinking. "Because I don't know what you want me to tell you."

Blake seemed to hesitate and give that question further consideration. Weiss was glad that Blake was at the very least willing to reconsider it, all things considered. She didn't like being boiled down to some sort of stereotype, and her friends wouldn't be the types to like it either.

It was a long moment, and then Blake finally decided to speak up and try to explain herself. "I'm just asking whether or not they'll judge too hard when they meet me."

And for Weiss, that was a question that she didn't know that she was actually going to be able to answer in the long run. While she knew Coco and Neptune fairly well, it wasn't as though the two of them had spent much time away from high society in their early years.

But she also knew enough about her friends that she could make some safe guesses. Neptune had friends that Weiss hadn't met that were from the middle class, and Coco liked to dabble with all sorts of people.

She looked Blake in the eyes, hoping that she would be able to connect to the other woman before answering. "I don't think that they would." Weiss finally said, keeping her voice on the quieter end of the spectrum. "If anything, I think that as long as they don't know what you are-"

"What I am?"

"A reporter." Weiss clarified, realizing that what she'd said might not have come off that well at the first word. "Specifically one that reports on my family."

"Right." Blake responded, taking her comfort in it for the most part. "So you think that as long as they don't know about, it'll be fine?"

"I'm sure of it." Weiss said, smiling back at Blake. "They aren't like my family, Blake. They actually like people. And that's not just for opportunistic reasons."

"That's good." Blake murmured. She leaned back on the bench and let one of her legs stretch out in front of her. Blake had lovely long legs, Weiss thought, feeling her face heat up a little bit too much. That wasn't something for her to be focusing on, and she knew that perfectly well. "So if they come down, you'd want me to meet them?"

"I'd at least want you to talk to Neptune." Weiss sighed, fidgeting with her sleeve in an attempt to calm herself down at least a little bit. The distraction was always going to be more than welcome when everything was taken into consideration. "If I'm going to have to play along with a story where he and I are dating..."

"That makes sense. Boundaries are important."

Blake was staring off across the river, like she thought that there was something on the other side of it. Weiss was sure that there wasn't anything, but if Blake wanted to keep an eye out, Weiss was going to allow it. She couldn't exactly do anything to stop Blake.

"Are you okay with it?"

"With what?" Blake scoffed. "You pretending to date him?"

"No." Weiss paused. "With me and you. As more than just... what we've been doing."

Blake was giving her a weird look, and Weiss only managed to feel herself getting more and more insecure the longer that the two of them sat there and talked.

"I like it." Blake shrugged.

Weiss smiled, because that managed to be the absolute most comforting thing that Blake could have ever said to her. It was a reassurance that the two of them were going to be on good terms once everything finally got going properly.

For now, the two of them were going to be on odd footing, and that was something that Weiss was confident in. She didn't want to be the one falling apart in any way, but that seemed like it would be inevitable at some point.

But for now, she had Blake, and the two of them were willing to work hand in hand with each other.

"I'm glad." Weiss said, smiling back across at Blake and lacing her hands together. She set them down in her lap and stared across the city in the same way that her companion had. It was rather beautiful, Weiss though. It wasn't winter, but when it came she was sure that the view would end up being much more beautiful.

The two of them ended up sitting there for a while, both of them enjoying their ice cream until it was either gone or melted. Once it was over, they both got up and climbed onto Blake's motorcycle so that they could make a trip to their respective homes.

Weiss watched Blake drive away, and she couldn't help but feel like she'd just been shot in the heart.

Watching Blake go was always going to be difficult.

With everything that was going to come later, it only got harder and harder to think about.

* * *

Blake got back to her apartment, and came inside to find that her roommate was sitting on the couch, with her little sister at her feet. Blake wasn't at all surprised to find that on the list of things that she wanted to deal with when she got home spending time with Yang and Ruby ranked pretty low.

Not that she could exactly go ahead and say that.

Yang's head swiveled at the sound of the door closing behind Blake. She stared Blake down, and Blake sighed as she peeled off her jacket and stepped out of her boots. On at least some level, Blake was expecting that she was going to hear something about how she hadn't exactly come home that day.

In all likelihood, Yang had been expecting for Blake to come home and for the two of them to spend time together.

"Hey." Blake greeted Yang and Ruby, setting down her helmets by the door and finally heading deeper into the apartment. "How are you two?"

"We're good." Ruby replied, turning in her seat on the sofa to face Blake head on. She had her legs crossed under her, that was clear enough when Blake walked around the side of the couch. "We missed you a lot."

"I'm sorry." Blake sighed as she looked between her two friends. "I was planning to be home earlier, but I ended up getting caught up with something else instead."

"Eh, it happens." Yang responded, sounding a little bit too cheerful. "How's Kuo Kuana?"

Blake groaned, because that was something that she really didn't want to talk about all that much. She could take comfort in the fact that she wasn't being questioned about what she had been doing that night for now, but it wouldn't last long.

"It's home." Blake sighed. "Parents were glad to see me, so there's that."

Ruby cocked her head to the side and edged her way closer to the armrest on the couch. It create just enough room that Blake was able to squeeze into the space between her friends. Spending time with any friends felt awkward then, with everything that she and Weiss had talked about that night still fresh in Blake's memory.

But she loved Ruby and Yang, and to have them both so glad to have her home was nice.

"We're always happy to see you too." Ruby added. She was smiling up at Blake. "I mean, you just left and we didn't get to talk much."

"I know." Blake sighed. "I've been really busy with other things lately." She felt a wave of shame wash over her, and Blake knew that she had so much more that she was going to need to try to apologize for. Too many times she had ended up abandoning plans with her friends for the sake of work. Now, it was time to spend her hours with her friends. "I'm sorry. I've been too busy with work lately."

"Yeah, you have." Yang commented, crossing her legs and turning so that she could face Blake a little more directly. "It's been worth it though, right?"

Blake paused, because that was something that really wasn't as easy to answer as it could have been. If she'd had her way this would have been easily explained. Not without her having to worry about whether or not she was saying too much about something.

"I think that it has." Blake responded. "I've made some pretty... important connections for work."

Yang stared at Blake and leaned in. She squinted at Yang, her face screwing up in the way that it did when she was clearly trying to figure something out. "You sure that's all it is?"

"Uh, what?" Ruby asked, looking a little bit confused herself. Blake wasn't surprised by it, since Ruby hadn't exactly been spending a lot of time at the apartment. Yang had been there at the apartment at the same time that Weiss had been.

Blake rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's nothing." Blake said calmly. "I've been giving interviews, and the person I've been talking to tends to like her privacy."

" _That,_ " Yang laughed, "is code for Blake having a super rich and famous girlfriend, Ruby."

And despite the fact that she really didn't want to deal with it, Blake knew that she had to dignify Yang with some sort of response. "She's..." And Blake was about to deny it, but then the conversations that she'd just had with Weiss came rising up in her. To deny it that point would make her feel terrible, and Blake was going to do her best to keep that from happening. "That's not exactly it, but yeah. Basically. This doesn't leave this room, though."

"Holy shit, you mean I was right?" Yang asked, her eyes going weird and her blinking. "I was just joking about it, but you're actually dating her?" Yang leaned back in her seat. "Should I start looking for a new roommate now, or-"

"Don't worry about it just yet." Blake rolled her eyes, keeping her gaze averted from Yang and Ruby's. "It's not that serious."

"We'll see." Yang sighed. "I just hope that you won't forget about us, Blake. Introduce us to your new friend sometime."

"Maybe." Blake sighed. "I have to worry about meeting her friends first, it seems."

"Wait." Yang interjected, and there was this look on her face that read only as being shock above all else. "You're going to be meeting her friends?"

Blake sighed, because this was something that she really, really didn't want to have to get into too much, but it also seemed that she wasn't being given much of a choice in the matter. She looked back at Ruby, who was also staring at her with wide eyes and looking very interested.

Finally, she allowed herself to explain some things.

"Yeah," Blake finally grumbled. "I am, but I'm not sure how I feel about it."

"Why, don't want to hang out with the spoiled rich kids?" Yang asked, leaning back in her seat and stretching out again, as nonchalant as ever. "Because if that's it, I'm not really surprised."

"That's... a part of it." Blake admitted. "I just don't know that it's a good idea."

Yang nodded, and she looked like she was trying to figure something out. Maybe she was trying to look at this as a puzzle where there was sure to be a solution if they could just find it. If that was indeed what Yang was doing, then Blake didn't know how this could go well exactly, but she could do her best to roll with things.

"Well..."

Ruby was talking, and Blake had to swivel to look at her other friend.

"Yeah?"

"Well, if you're going to be meeting her friends, and you want her to meet us-" Ruby was holding her hands out in front of her, like they were both meant to represent the different groups involved in all of this. "Why don't you guys just try and have it so that all of us can meet?"

And if it wasn't for the inescapable fact that Blake was in a situation where she was going to have to pay attention to members of the social elite that would have been a great idea. They could have let Yang just pick out some nightclub, and the time spent there could serve as their social time and getting to know each other period.

Somehow, Blake didn't think that nightclubs were something that Weiss would be into. She didn't even like them that much personally and mostly only ever went to the things because of Yang.

She needed to think of a good answer for Ruby, though. That was of the utmost importance, in its own way.

"It's not that simple." Blake just sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to get with these people. The names that Weiss has mentioned, they're all people that are inheriting companies. Big ones. They all probably grew up with allowances that were bigger than what any of us could ever hope to make in a year."

"And?" Yang prompted.

"And if they aren't going to like me, I don't want them to take that out on you too." Blake frowned and leaned back in her seat. She dug her fingers into her pants, and scratched up and down them like it was a way to make herself feel more comforted in this situation. It didn't work, it just left her with dark blue crescents under her nails as bits of fiber were pulled up from the denim. "I like you two too much, and I don't' want this ruining my relationship with either of you."

"Yeah," Yang said, rolling her eyes. "Okay, sure, or you could put some trust in us to be able to do what we can to make your life easier."

"This isn't about that." Blake snapped back.

Almost immediately, she snapped her mouth back shut at the realization that she had lashed out much more harshly than she'd been meaning to. She'd been hoping that she would be able to just get some of the frustration that was clinging on to her away.

That wouldn't be so easy, of course.

There were always so many layers to the things wrong with what she got stuck doing.

"What's it about then?" Yang asked back, still glaring at Blake. "Because if this isn't about you opening up, and it isn't about work, then when is it about?"

Blake couldn't help but pause, because that was a question that she really didn't have a good answer for. All that she knew was that she was trying her best to feel her way out of a messy situation without much else to go on.

"It's just complicated." Blake offered as her explanation, as weak as it was. "Just trust me on that."

"So that's it?" Yang asked. "It's complicated?"

"Yes," Blake said, biting her cheek. "I'll tell you guys more when I know that I'm able to tell you more, but right now I can't give you much." She stood up, and looked to the clock. It was late, and that was a good enough excuse to remove herself from this as anything. "It's late."

"Yeah," Ruby commented, and the youngest of the three of them did look a little bit hurt. "I guess it is..."

"I'm going to bed." Blake sighed. "I'll talk to you two soon."

With that said, she slipped off and out of view of the other two. She could practically feel the stares of her friends on her back before she closed the door on them. This wasn't a good situation, but she's doing her best.

That much Blake was confident in.


	13. black and blues

For an entire week, Blake didn't hear anything from Weiss. She didn't hear so much as a single whisper or a pin drop- up until she got a call late at night from Weiss. She had been up at her desk, paying attention to her job and doing a final read-over of an article. The work was as dull as ever, but it was something that Blake knew needed to be done.

Weiss had informed her that her friends were coming from Vale to visit. The length of the visit had gone unspecified.

That had been the night before.

Blake hadn't exactly had a _good_ way to gauge just how fast the rich and famous could make it from point A to point B. Namely, she hadn't been considering that it was possible that either the Vasilias or the Adel families had their own private planes. In her world, getting a plane ticket at a reasonable price usually meant booking weeks in advance, or keeping airline rewards in her back pocket from the last time that one of her flights out of Atlas had been delayed.

For that reason, she was slumped in the back of the Schnee Car that she had spent so much time in- also not something she ever would have really expected from her life. Weiss had rolled up in front of her building that morning bearing coffee and looking entirely too ready to be even awake that day. She'd been perfectly groomed and sitting ramrod straight. Ready to make appearances.

And yeah, if _that_ hadn't been a bad sign of what was to come, Blake didn't know what was. She'd ended up having to scramble to get dressed before she went out and met Weiss.

After that, Klein was driving them straight to the airport with no time for stopping.

They pulled up in front of the large building, and Blake found herself feeling more and more unsure of herself with every passing moment. This had the potential to go horribly, horribly wrong, and Blake couldn't shake her own awareness of that fact.

Weiss was calm though. She was of course looking down at her phone every couple of minutes before she finally smiled wide, shoved it into her pocket, and moved to climb out of the car.

"They're here." She announced all too calmly. "Come on."

And there it was, that awareness that if things were going to start falling apart, this was going to be where it happened. Blake grimaced, drank down the rest of her coffee and then climbed out of the car to follow closely after Weiss.

The two of them walked inside, and all that Weiss needed to do in order to make sure that she got where she wanted to be was flash an ID card. Klein stopped by the entrance to a small area, and then Weiss and Blake were stepping inside.

"So they're here." Blake said, staring out the window at a small plane that had just stopped on the tarmac. "How long before we see them?"

"Only a couple of minutes." Weiss said calmly. She was smiling, and Blake couldn't help but think that Weiss looked happier than she had in a long time. It was like she was finally able to relax again.

"You're sure that this is a good idea?" Blake prompted, knowing that her worry was getting worse and worse and more and more noticeable.

"They'll love you." Weiss answered, smiling up at Blake. "I promise."

Despite it all, Blake wasn't convinced. That wasn't a surprise by any means. It was just something that was making things much harder on her.

"Right." Blake confirmed, reaching for her pocket and turning off her phone. She didn't want to end up making it look like she was doing any work that day.

The door on the other side of the room opened, and in streamed two people, one right after the other.

The first was a woman, with short brown hair that was adorned by a long section that was dyed a vibrant shade of vermillion. Behind her, a tall man with tanned skin, shocking blue hair, and a wide smile.

Somehow this wasn't what she'd been expecting. She'd been expecting something more… uppity than dyed hair and interesting fashion choices.

"Neptune, Coco!" Weiss said, taking a few steps forward in what managed to almost look like a light jog. She opened her arms up and wrapped them around Coco, who stepped right into her grip. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Hey, we're glad to see you too." Neptune replied, smiling wide. His eyes fell on Blake then, and Blake took the chance to immediately size the man up. He was handsome, in his own way. Looked a little bit too nice, all things considered. Something about him reminded Blake of a puppy, but she didn't know what that was exactly.

Mostly, Blake didn't think too much of him at first glance.

Weiss pulled away from Coco and then gave Neptune a hug hello before finally pulling away and facing Blake.

"Oh, Neptune, Coco, this is Blake Belladonna."

"Hello." Blake greeted them. "It's nice to meet you."

Coco looked at Blake, and Blake was immediately left feeling like she was being held under a microscope. There was something about Coco Adel that felt dangerous, but Blake wasn't quite able to figure out what that thing might have been. It could have been anything really, the way that she held herself, the high fashion, the way that she slid her glasses down her nose and stared at Blake with narrowed brown eyes.

 _Dangerous_.

"Right." Coco says, her gaze sliding over towards Weiss. "This is the one you told us about?"

"She is." Weiss confirmed, stepping up to Blake's side. Blake didn't think anything of it at first, and then she felt the careful slide of Weiss' hand into her own. "I was hoping that I could introduce all of you."

"Well," Neptune stepped forward, putting on a wide grin that only managed to look goofy. He leaned forward slightly into a bow and glanced up at Blake, still smiling. "I am always glad to meet a beautiful woman."

Blake didn't know what to say, especially considering that this man was, by _many_ technicalities, her romantic rival. Not that Weiss actually seemed interested in the man, but more because he was just the first person that had come to Weiss' mind when she'd needed an excuse.

"Uh... right." Blake responded. There was a careful squeeze of her hand before Weiss pulled away from her. "It's nice to meet you too."

Weiss looked from Blake to Neptune, and Blake couldn't help but think that she looked wholly unsure of what to make of things. Maybe Neptune's playful flirting (if it could even be called that) had thrown Weiss off. Maybe there was something else going on. "We should probably get out of here." Weiss said, her gaze flicking back to the door. She was nervous, that much was obvious. "I hear that there are a lot of nice restaurants here in Atlas with nice specials?"

"I would like real food." Neptune said, stretching and resting his hands behind his head. "I don't know about Coco, but I just want to sit down, catch up, and meet your new friend."

Weiss looked to Blake and smiled. Blake felt a little bit more comfortable, but it wasn't going to be permanent- that much she was sure of. "More than friends, actually." Weiss clarified, though she dropped her volume significantly. "I know that there's a lot that we're going to need to talk about-"

"It's fine." Neptune said, and it sounded like he was doing his best to reassure them both. HE dropped his hands back down to his sides and rolled back onto heels just slightly before continuing. "I don't think that there will be too much weird stuff because of this."

"I hope so." Blake sighed, deciding that maybe the best way to go about this was to join in on the conversation. "I don't think that anything will be able to work out if we don't take the time to talk it over."

"It sounded pretty simple to me." Coco commented, holding her head up high and glancing over at Blake from behind her sunglasses. "You two just need to be able to play along while you need to is all."

And yeah, that was the issue for the most part, but that didn't make the whole thing any less awkward. Instead of getting into it with Coco, Blake bit her tongue and walked along with Weiss and her friends.

They climbed into the car that Klein had brought, and it was a little bit more crowded than Blake would have liked. She found herself squeezed into the back against the left window of the car. Coco sat in the middle, and then Neptune took the right.

The drive wasn't a long one, but soon they were being brought in front of Schnee Manor and Blake felt her panic begin to rise because that hadn't been a part of this. Of course it was possible that Weiss was hosting her friends, or it was also possible that they were there just for a quick stop.

Blake didn't know, and she didn't like any of it. All that she knew was that Schnee Manor was a place where she very distinctly didn't belong.

Weiss turned in her seat and looked back at the rest of them. "We're just stopping so that we can get a better car, is that okay?"

"I'd like something with more room." Coco said with a shrug. "That way I don't have to mess around with Neptune."

"Hey!" Neptune exclaimed. "I'm a perfectly good travel partner."

"Sitting next to you on a plane for three hours says otherwise." Coco responded, smirking.

From where she was sitting, Blake just watched the others. A lot of what she was trying to do was figure out the best way to engage the others. She didn't know how she was supposed to interact with them.

But they got into the new car, which was, as promised _much_ larger. Much, much, larger than Blake had been thinking it would be.

Blake hadn't been expecting a limousine, by any means.

She climbed into the back alongside Weiss. Neptune and Coco both took the places to spread out a little bit to make themselves more comfortable too.

"So," It was Coco to begin the conversation instead of anyone else, and that had to be expected, Blake thought. Neptune was playful in ways that she'd never really seen working alongside Weiss. And Weiss was probably just trying to keep a cool head so that she would be able to handle everything that came up.

"What is it?" Weiss asked, looking Coco in the eyes.

"How's dear old dad?" Coco asked, gesturing out the window towards the outline of the hospital. Blake blinked- a part of her told her that she needed to start taking notes so that she could do her job. But it was probably for the best if she didn't tip the others off to what she did for a living. Not when it ran the risk of making things extraordinarily difficult later on.

Weiss looked back over her shoulder to see that Klein was still paying attention to the road and sighing. She was looking down at her hands in her lap. "He's... not well." Weiss explained, keeping her voice down. "Winter and I went to see him the other day, and he's just... completely unresponsive. It's looking... better, but it's still not good."

"I'm sorry." Coco sighed. "That's awful. You know that we're here for as long as you need us to be here, right?"

"I do." Weiss said, forcing a smile. She looked over at Blake. "I've had help here in the city, but it means a lot."

Blake felt her cheeks flush, but tried hard not to let any of her personal alarm over that show. She hadn't really thought that she had been doing all that much for Weiss, but if Weiss thought as much...

Blake didn't know what to feel, and she couldn't exactly go pretending like she did know.

"Well," Coco sighed. "We're going to be here for you anyways. Anything you need, you know that you can just call."

"I do." Weiss said, smiling slightly. "But I'd like to start with the elephant in the room."

Neptune nodded slowly and looked from Weiss and then over to Blake. He looked nervous himself, and Blake couldn't exactly blame him for it. To have to talk about this sort of thing when she and Weiss had barely even just started dating - if it could even be called that, was _awkward_.

There was no avoiding that fact.

Blake nodded, and Weiss began to explain.

"As of right now, my family thinks that you have been here in Atlas since I arrived back in the city." Weiss explained, keeping herself as calm and relaxed as possible. "They don't know about Blake's presence aside from Klein, and the same is true with regards to our relationship."

"And Klein won't say anything." Neptune said, smiling softly. "I've got it. Is there anything else-"

Weiss nodded, and Blake looked over at her. She couldn't exactly explain how unsure she was feeling over the whole thing. "Yes." Weiss said finally. "I can't say whether or not we'll have to do anything, but as of right now I wouldn't expect to be brought to anything terribly... public."

"Right." Neptune nodded. He looked up at Blake and their eyes met. There was a long beat before Blake finally decided that she wanted to say something for herself.

"I'm okay with this." Blake explained calmly. "I don't like it, but I'm okay with it."

"Don't like it because of me, or because-"

"Because it has to be done in the first place." Blake sighed. "It's... unfortunate. For everyone involved."

"Well, yeah, it is." Neptune said with a slight shrug. "But you know Jacques Schnee-"

Blake shook her head. "I don't know anyone directly." She sighed. "Weiss is the first member of the family that's been willing to talk to me."

"You're a reporter, right?" Coco butts into the conversation. "Writing about SchneeCorp?"

And that was really the first question that anyone had bothered to ask her about what she was doing there. Blake didn't quite know how she felt about it all, but she figured the least she could do was explain herself. Preferably without accidentally incriminating herself the entire time.

"I do." Blake said, holding her head high. "I know that probably isn't ideal, but I do it for a reason."

"Which is?" Coco asks, leaning in towards Blake just slightly from the other side of the limousine.

"To hold people in positions of power accountable for their actions." Blake explained, keeping her voice a little bit quiet. Her eyes flicked up towards where Klein was sitting in the front of the vehicle and couldn't help but feel a little bit of guilt. Why, she wasn't quite sure.

Neptune nodded and leaned back in his seat. "I don't see anything wrong with that," he said, shrugging. "I mean, Jacques-"

"My father isn't the kindest of businessmen, I know." Weiss said, and she actually sounded a little bit angry over it. "And that's why I want to be able to be better for my father's company than him or my brother it's just..." All at once Weiss' voice went quiet. Soft and sad, like she didn't know how she was supposed to say or do anything. "It's hard thinking about all of this right now."

"Of course." Blake sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." Neptune said, looking sheepish. "I didn't mean to-"

"I know." Weiss murmured. "It's just... hard."

"Which is why we're here for you." Coco said. She looked like she was wishing that she was on the other side of the limo beside Weiss instead of Blake, but she didn't move to get up. She just sat there and watched Weiss from her side of the vehicle. "You don't have to put up with this alone."

"I know." Weiss whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "I know."

Blake didn't know what to say or do, so she just reached over and placed her hand on top of Weiss'. Weiss smiled just slightly and turned her hand under Blake's touch. Blake squeezed gently and said nothing, because that was all that she knew to do.

"So how did you two meet, anyways?" Neptune asked, clearly doing his best to break some of the tension. His eyes fell on their hands, and Blake noticed that there was just the slightest smile creasing his expressions.

Blake and Weiss looked at each other, both unsure of what they were supposed to say. Finally, Weiss decided to explain. "She gave me her work number so that she could ask me some questions."

And really, Blake couldn't help but think that was a generous way to explain it all. Weiss was very kindly leaving out a few details, and Blake really did appreciate it.

"Really?" Neptune asked, wrinkling his nose up just slightly. He looked at Blake with a look of disbelief on his face, and Blake really wished that she could have done something to prove herself against it.

Strange situations were strange and all.

"That's... explaining it loosely." Blake sighed. "But yes."

And then it was Coco to speak up next, looking Weiss in the eyes and finally taking the moment to remove her sunglasses. "Doesn't exactly seem romantic."

"It _wasn't_." Blake deadpanned. "I was just trying to do my job, really."

Coco's expression sank into a playful sort of smirk. "And you said yes?" She asked, watching the way that Weiss sat up a little straighter. She almost looked predatory, but more in the way that she was looking for some sort of _'gotcha'_ moment rather than anything else.

And more than anything, Coco managed to make it all come off as being playful above all else. That was something that Blake had to admire, at least on some level.

But at her side, Weiss just blushed. "It was more complicated than that, but yes."

Coco stared Weiss down in a way that clearly communicated that she was looking for something, but said nothing. Instead, she just relaxed back into her seat slightly. "You've got weird taste, Weiss."

"I know." Weiss said, sounding almost sheepish. "But I like Blake a lot."

"And that's what matters." Coco sighed, looking back over at Neptune."Be careful, blue."

"I will." Neptune said, looking between Weiss and Blake. "You have my word. I'm here for you two, be sure of it."

"Thank you." Weiss said, smiling finally and relaxing again.

Blake just bit her tongue and tried not to focus on the vast number of things that were wrong with this situation. It was a half-baked plan, and Blake could only hope that it wouldn't bite any of them later.

But for now, she could wait.

* * *

The entire day passed, and eventually Weiss was able to retire to her home. The plan had been simple enough. Coco was going to get a hotel in the city, while she and Neptune were going to be sharing some space to figure out some of the finer details of their current arrangement.

Neptune deposited his things in a corner of the room, and Weiss just sat down awkwardly on the side of her bed. Klein had already brought up some things to make sure that Neptune would have a place to sleep that night, and that helped. At the very least, it made things more comfortable for her.

Once he was satisfied, Neptune took a seat on the soft cushion and looked up at Weiss with a wide smile.

"This is pretty awkward, huh?" He asked, clearly making himself comfortable. "All things considered."

"It is." Weiss sighed. She wanted to get down and sit next to Neptune, but that would have to come later. "Thank you for coming up to do this."

"I don't mind." Neptune replied, shrugging. "I mean, it's the least that I could do for you, right?"

"But you didn't have to." Weiss rebutted. "You could have just stayed in Vale and left me to deal with all of this on my own." She was sure to keep her voice down, just in case there was someone that would want to overhear.

Not that there were many of those, but Weiss didn't trust most of the family staff, and Whitley was usually a bit of a snake.

"But that would have been shitty." Neptune said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. He moved then, deciding to stretch his legs out and make himself a little bit more comfortable there. "I know how they are, Weiss."

"I know." She sighed. "It's... so exhausting. I've talked to Blake about how they are a little bit, but..."

"Nothing quite describes it?" Neptune asked, staring up at her sympathetically. "Because I could believe that."

"I just don't like that this is how things are." Weiss whispered. "A part of me wishes that I could just end up like my sister because at least that way I wouldn't be stuck like this."

"Is... that what you really want?" Neptune asked. He looked sad, and for the first time Weiss realized that he looked a little bit exhausted. He had to be at least a little bit jet lagged, Weiss thought. But mostly, Neptune looked worried.

And really, Weiss just didn't know whether or not she had a way to actually answer that question. It wasn't anywhere near as simple of an issue as it could be, and Weiss had no way to properly confront that.

Not when they were specifically talking about her wanting to estrange herself from her family.

"I don't know." She finally admitted. "It would mean that I would get to spend more time with Winter, but..." Weiss shook her head. "I just don't understand what is so wrong with my family. We should be one of the shining lights of society, people that others would want to look up to, but instead..." Weiss took a deep breath. "Instead it's just a mess."

"Well," Neptune looked like he was doing his best to pick his words carefully. He shifted his position, craning his neck slightly so that he could look over Weiss' shoulder to get a good view of the door. He was worried about the two of them being overheard then. That was good to know. "I don't know that it's what I should say, but..."

"My father?" Weiss asked, looking for that little confirmation that it was indeed what Neptune was thinking about. "Is that it?"

"I think so." Neptune said finally. "You've said a lot of things about him since we've known each other, and Weiss-" He paused. "he's a monster. I wished that you didn't have to deal with it."

"I know." Weiss groaned. "You know that Blake used to do factory sabotages?" She asked Neptune, because it came to mind as something that was worth talking about. At the very least, Weiss was sure that this was something that she could trust Neptune with. "And it was all because of my father and the way that he ran businesses."

Neptune, however, looked a little bit shocked by it all. He leaned back away from her just slightly and blinked twice before allowing himself to say anything else. "Are you..." He hesitated. "Weiss, are you sure that seeing Blake is a good idea in that case?"

"I'm sure." Weiss sighed, feeling a weird pang of something akin to guilt she couldn't quite identify. "I like Blake, a lot. I think that she understands that I don't have anything to do with that stuff, but sometimes I have to wonder..."

She looked off to the side, looking for the words that she needed but ultimately found herself reaching for something that she couldn't quite find.

"You're just trying to figure it out, aren't you?" Neptune finished, seemingly doing his best to be supportive for a little while. Weiss definitely appreciated it, if only because Neptune had always been a good confidant for her.

"I am." Weiss finally sighed. "Just because Winter, you and Coco seem to be fine with it doesn't mean that many other people will be. Blake is a lot of things, but I don't know that I'll be able to pass her off as acceptable to the people around me."

She laid down on her bed, flopping down in a way so that she could still stare at her friend. Neptune adjusted how he was resting a little bit to accommodate for the change, and just shrugged.

"You know that me and Coco are going to be there for you no matter what, right?"

"I do." Weiss admitted, feeling a little bit warmer but still unsure of herself. "I'm just worried about what could happen. What if we broke up and she published something? What if she suddenly decides that she doesn't even care about confidentiality anymore?"

Her voice went quiet as one of the absolute worst case scenarios came to Weiss' mind.

"What if I end up getting chased out of the company for choosing to fraternize with her?"

"Fraternize?" Neptune asked, laughing and flopping back into his bedding in a way that was entirely too nonchalant. He was relaxed, and that was a good thing by Weiss' view at least. "Is that what we're calling it?"

"That's what it will be called if they find out." Weiss nearly snaps back. "I'm expecting to end up like Winter no matter what happens. And I still don't know whether or not that's something that I'll want to deal with."

"But you said-"

"You don't have siblings." Weiss said, glancing back over at Neptune. "And you don't have a family that would be happy to punish you for anything that came up."

"I know." Neptune mumbled back, frowning slightly. "I get that I'm lucky. I get that Coco's lucky, I just..." he paused and looked up into Weiss' eyes like he was looking for something. It just made her want to shrink back and out of sight because that would be so much more comfortable. "I just wish that you could be happy."

"I feel the same way." Weiss sighed. "I want to think that Blake might be a chance at that, but it's so complicated."

Neptune nodded and turned, lying back down on his back and staring up at the ceiling. He ended up resting his folded hands on his stomach and breathing deeply as he thought. There was something going on in his head, and Weiss didn't know what.

"Do you want to know what I think?" Neptune asked finally, keeping his voice down and his tone calm. "About all of this?"

"I think that I'd like to know." Weiss said, mimicking him from where she was lying. It reminded her of all of the years of rule breaking back when they'd been in prep school.

"I think you should do it." Neptune finally said with a slight shrug. "If you think it'll make you happy."

Ultimately, that did end up being what Weiss had needed to hear, more or les. That didn't mean that it did anything to calm her down, or to make her feel more relaxed about the situation at hand.

Nothing really could.

It was late. All that Weiss needed was one look over at the clock to figure out that it was very late, and that the two of them really needed to rest. Weiss sighed and settled back into the bed. "We should sleep."

"Yeah," Neptune grumbled. "Probably."

"Okay." Weiss said. She got up and went to get her things so that she could get ready for bed while Neptune slipped off to change himself.

When he came back in, he closed the door behind her.

Weiss found herself texting Blake from under the blankets much later than she should have, if only because she wasn't able to calm down enough to rest.

Eventually, she managed to fall asleep.


	14. play the game

Blake sat at the cafe which Weiss and her had agreed on for a lunch meeting the previous night. Weiss had been wanting a place for them to eat before getting a day in together anyways. It was a pretty normal place, and that had Blake very worried for what was going to come later in that day. Weiss was supposed to be bringing her friends along, and that was enough to make Blake worry on its own.

She had ended up going to the cafe a bit early, because that felt right to do. At the very least she could make sure that the four of them had a good table.

The door opened to the cafe and Blake looked up, ignoring her mug of tea for a moment in hopes of seeing Weiss.

But it wouldn't be Weiss.

Instead, Blake found herself staring at the one person that she really, _really_ didn't want to run into that day. Someone that she never wanted to spend any serious amount of time around in general stood there instead.

He stalked his way across the shop and dropped down into the seat across from her. He was still wearing his sunglasses, and Blake was sure that he wasn't going to do anything to remove them either.

But he was leaving her with no choice but to talk. It was too early to go crying for help.

Blake could handle this. It was just-

"Hello, Blake." He greeted her, leaning back in his seat directly across from her. He let his legs stretch out in a way so that they would be sure to bump up against Blake's in a sure show of dominance. She wished that she knew how he'd been able to find her when she'd been living her life in a way that was meant to force distance between them.

"Hello, Adam." Blake responded, sitting up tall and feeling like there'd been an iron rod shoved down her spine. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to talk about work," Adam said, stretching his fingers out for just a moment. "Or is that not allowed anymore?"

"I don't want to talk to you about anything." Blake responded. She wished that she had something in her pockets so that she would be able to defend herself. The good thing was that she was in a public place, and that was going to make it a little bit easier. If things went south, all she had to do was make enough of a fuss that others would notice.

Adam cocked his head to the side and leaned in, letting himself brace himself against the table. "Why not?"

"Because I don't like you." Blake said. "Not even enough to want to consider working with you."

Adam's expression twisted into a snarl of sorts. Blake knew that his eyes were narrowed behind his sunglasses, and the flexing of his fingers into a fist told her plenty. She'd managed to get under his skin, and while that had the potential to be a good thing, Blake knew that she couldn't be too sure about that.

"Why so frosty?" Adam responded. "You and I used to have such good times together."

"What do you want, Adam?" Blake asked, snarling back at him. "Because I really don't have the time to talk to you."

"I wanted to ask you back to work with me." Adam responded, shrugging in leaning back. "Rumor has it that the Schnees are preparing a fundraiser for the old bastard's hospital expenses, like they won't be able to pay the bills themselves."

"I'm sure that's grossly misrepresenting the situation." Blake deadpanned her response. It was enough to make her wonder about how much worse it could be. "And I don't want to work with you. I've already told you that."

"I was just saying, you and I could get in, mess around in an office or two for old time's sakes-" He brought one hand up by his head. He was fidgeting with a pen, Blake realized then. "Next thing we know, the Schnee Charities are getting looked into for fraud. We get one hell of a payday."

Blake blinked, because she really didn't know what was being offered to her. There were a lot of questions that she had, and she didn't even know where to start with asking them. If the Schnees were planning something, then she definitely hadn't heard about it from Weiss.

"Are you suggesting fraud or blackmail?"

Adam laughed. "Whatever would take the Schnees down." He replied, stretching and leaning back into his seat a little bit more. "I know that you don't like them, Blake. No reason to go acting all high and mighty."

"I'm above that work." Blake snapped back. "And I'm happy to not be doing it anymore."

Adam shrugged. "You know that you aren't a real reporter, no matter what Ilia says-" He stopped himself and stared her down. "She says hi, by the way. Said you were doing good, you were on a big story."

"Did she tell you anything else?" Blake asked. "Or just that?"

"She said you and her had broken up." Adam added, almost absentmindedly. "Which, good for you, by the way. I know that you can do better."

"What, like you?"

He grinned, but it was devilish and harsh. Like a cat cornering a mouse. "You said it, not me."

And that was frustrating. It made Blake roll her eyes. She needed to do something to get Adam to leave her alone, because if she couldn't-

Weiss was coming. If Weiss was going to get there when Adam was still there, then Blake knew that everything was going to get blown out of the water. Adam wasn't the type to even pretend to care about anonymity agreements or non disclosure agreements.

If he wanted to make everyone involved look bad, then he would just do it and ask no questions. Really, he'd just love watching the explosions from off in the distance.

And Blake really, really, didn't want for him to be able to go ahead and ruin everything.

Blake closed her eyes and all but forced herself to take a deep breath in an attempt to just calm down. Getting angry with Adam never served to do much of anything beneficial, and Blake knew that perfectly well. The worst thing that she could do was give him any more power over her than he already had.

"Adam," Blake began, keeping her voice as steady as she could manage. "I don't have the time for this."

Adam didn't respond. He just stared her down the same way, anger clearly there in his expression. If the two of them weren't in a public place, Blake knew that she would be feeling much less uncomfortable than she was now.

"And what could possibly be more important, my darling?" Adam asked.

It made Blake's skin crawl. She suppressed the shiver that wanted to race down her spine and tried not to let her hands ball into fists. "I'm busy." She said, this time more insistent.

"You don't look busy."

"Yes, well, I am!" Blake snapped, finally raising her voice. Almost immediately she wanted to shrink back, if only because she knew what she was doing. She'd just put herself into a bad situation just like that. Blake was going to need to do something.

She needed to do anything to get away from Adam. Get to her bike, drive as far from this restaurant as she could, and then she was going to need to call Weiss to let her know that there was a change of plans.

And then Blake was going to have to be able to explain it all. Blake didn't even know if doing that was going to be possible without putting herself in an even more compromising situation.

Adam was one of those things that she really didn't want to share with a lot of people.

"Then what are you doing here?" Adam asked her, and there was a new sort of venom to his voice that was going to only get worse and worse. "Because I'm very curious."

"I'm waiting for someone." Blake responded. "And if you aren't going to leave me alone, then I'm going to leave."

"Who are you meeting?" Adam asked, and Blake knew fully well that it was more of an order than it was a question. That was what Adam wanted, at least.

"I'm not telling you." Blake said as she got up. She began on the fastest route that she could find that would get her to the door of the diner. Adam, unsurprisingly got up to follow after her. It made Blake only move faster.

"Blake!" He called to her as the two of them exited the store. "Why are you leaving me?"

"i'm trying to leave." Blake snapped back as she stepped up alongside her bike. "Leave me alone."

"Blake, why do you want to leave me?" Adam asked her, and Blake just climbed onto her motorcycle. Try not to give him the attention, just get out of there. "Is my offer not good enough?"

Once she was somewhere safe, then she was going to be able to call Weiss and tell her not to come. Blake couldn't afford to have Weiss near Adam, not when he would be glad to sabotage everything that she was doing.

Until then, she had no options.

Blake checked over her shoulder to see whether or not Adam was trying to follow after her. He was, and that wasn't surprising. It only caused Blake to pick up her pace until she was finally speeding off in the opposite direction. Later on she was going to need to talk to Ilia and let her know of what happened.

Assuming that Ilia didn't already know that Adam had come asking about her.

Blake drove for several minutes and ended up parking in an area in Upper Atlas, much closer to the Schnee Manor than it was to the restaurant where she was supposed to meet with Weiss.

Only then, when she was certain, did Blake allow herself to pick up the phone.

The phone rang a few times before Weiss answered.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line asked. "Blake?"

"We need to change plans." Blake said, a little bit more insistently than she would have liked. "Something came up, the place we planned for won't work anymore."

"Blake?" Weiss asked, this time sounding a little bit afraid. "What's wrong, did something happen?"

"I'll explain later." Blake sighed, and oh, she was going to have to do a lot later to make sure that she was explaining it all clearly. The harder part was going to be keeping herself detached emotionally. "I promise."

Weiss was quiet, and it was a deafening sort of silence. The kind that Blake wasn't going to be able to relax over until she knew for a fact that the air had been cleared. That was going to be on her, ultimately. The fact that Weiss was undoubtedly with her two friends didn't make it any less daunting.

Really, Blake couldn't even be sure that she would have time alone with Weiss until Coco and Neptune were out of Atlas entirely.

"Are you sure that everything is okay?" Weiss asked, and she sounded like she was walking around. By that guess, it was possible that Weiss was already at that restaurant, and if that was the case...

"Are you at the diner?" Blake asked. "I need to know."

"I mean, we're leaving. What's going on?"

"It isn't safe." Blake said, gripping the phone a little tighter than she'd needed to. She couldn't help it, that spike of nervousness and fear wasn't one that would leave her alone. Blake couldn't risk the possibility that Adam was still there, for whatever reason. If he saw Weiss, it was too possible that he would end up connecting the dots. "Just... get out of there. And make sure nobody's following you."

And there it was, the sound of a car door closing behind Weiss as she got into the car. There was the sound of another car door closing, and then Klein asking a quiet question in the background.

"What is going on, Blake?" Weiss asked. "It sounds like you're in trouble-"

Blake swallowed hard. "Just... trust me. I'll tell you everything, but I need to know that you're away from there."

"We're leaving." Weiss said quietly. "Should we meet you somewhere?"

Blake thought fast, and only one possibility came to mind. "I'm going to the hotel that we met your sister at." Blake said, taking in a deep breath. "Meet me there and we can figure out what to do next. I just... can't be there."

Weiss was quiet for far too long after that. Blake heard her utter a quiet okay, and then after that she hanged up the phone.

She was going to have a lot of explaining to do, very soon.

* * *

Weiss was scared. She didn't know what she was supposed to make of that phone call that she'd just gotten from Blake. She seated herself just across from Coco in the back of the car and took a deep breath.

Outside, there was a man watching them. Weiss was sure that he'd just recognized the branding on the car. Regardless, it was a little bit unsettling, all things considered. With what Blake had said, it left her feeling close to paranoid.

The car made its way off, and finally Weiss decided to explain.

"It was Blake." She said, looking between Neptune and Coco. "It sounded like there was something wrong, but I don't know what it could have been."

"She didn't say?" Neptune asked, blinking. "Because-"

"She just said that she would explain later." Weiss sighed, hugging herself slightly before looking at Klein and giving the instructions so that they could meet with Blake. He understood and adjusted where they were going.

Eventually they would find Blake though.

Blake had found a somewhat safe place to park, and she looked like she was on edge. She was standing there beside her motorcycle, occasionally tilting her body and looking up and down the road to check for... something. Or someone.

Klein parked the car and Weiss the first one to get out of the vehicle. She approached Blake, who stepped away from the car. The woman rushed towards them a little bit.

"Weiss!" Blake said, and she managed to sound like she was almost winded. "Did anyone follow you?"

"What?" Weiss asked, her eyes widening. "What do you mean-"

Blake did her best to calm herself down as possible, if the way that she closed her eyes and took a deep breath was an indicator. She was clenching her hands into fists down at her sides. "I need to know that nobody followed you."

"What is going on?" Weiss asked, because that was scary. The fact that the discussion had turned immediately towards stalking wasn't good. "Blake, you're scaring me!"

Blake looked back to her bike and let out a quiet sigh. The good thing was that it was parked. "I'm going to go and bring my bike back to my apartment." Blake said finally. "If you could get Klein to follow and pick me up, then I'll explain."

Weiss blinked and looked from Blake to the road before sighing quietly. "Alright." She said finally. "We'll do that."

"Thank you." Blake said, going back to her motorcycle and climbing onto it before speeding off in the direction of her home. Weiss hesitated there by the roadside for a moment before turning and heading back to the car. She climbed in and looked to Klein.

"What is it, Miss Schnee?" Klein asked, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

"We're to follow Blake to her apartment and pick her up once she's parked." Weiss said calmly. "If you could?"

Klein looked at Weiss, and the expression on his face seemed to be rather unsure. "Are you sure?"

"I am." Weiss said as she settled back into her own seat. Within moments they were back on the way, and Weiss looked between Coco and Neptune.

Both of them were silent, looking at each other like they were trying to decide who should speak first. Finally, it was Coco that decided to take the lead.

"Something is wrong." She said, stating the fact and relaxing back into her seat. "Has Blake ever done anything like this?"

Weiss shook her head. "No." She said, clenching her hands together in her lap. "This is the first time that Blake has done anything like this."

Neptune shifted uneasily in his seat. It was almost like he was squirming, tapping and drumming his fingers on his knee. "It sounded like she was in trouble."

"It did." Weiss admitted. "I don't know why Blake would be in trouble like that though." She looked down at her hands, where they were sitting there in her lap. She thought back on countless conversations with Blake, but nothing came to mind immediately. "She seemed to think we would have been followed."

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "And I don't know why someone would have been trying to follow me."

"Could it be because of your family?" Coco asked, leaning back in her seat a little bit more. "With the way that things are right now-"

"No, I don't think that's it." Weiss sighed as they pulled up in front of Blake's apartment. It was a little bit of a wait before Blake was there and joining them again. Weiss watched Blake exit the apartment building, and just waited.

Finally, Blake got in. She looked like she had changed into something that would be less conspicuous.

"Thanks." Blake said as she pulled the car door closed behind her. She settled into the seat beside Weiss. "I'm sorry about all of this."

Weiss nodded, because while she wanted to accept that apology, there was more to it. She didn't know that much about the situation, but she needed to know more if they were going to be able to move on.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked. She leaned forward in her seat to look up into Blake's eyes. Blake met her gaze, and her eyes slipped closed a moment later in a quiet sigh. "Because you need to tell me."

Blake nodded. "My ex somehow followed me to the place where we were going to meet." She said. She was clenching her hands together to make herself comfortable. "He works for The Fang too, and I couldn't..." Blake clenched her teeth, if the set of her jaw was anything to go by. "I couldn't risk him finding out about us."

Coco craned her neck, clearly doing her best to examine Blake based on the way that she pushed her sunglasses down on her nose. "Is this guy a creep?"

"You could say that." Blake said, and Weiss felt a strange spike of sadness. One that she couldn't quite understand, all that she knew was that it hurt and she hated it. "It'd be putting it lightly."

Weiss didn't quite know how she wanted to react to that response. It was more than enough to raise the hairs on the back of her neck and make her worry much more than she would have otherwise. Blake looked worried, and all that Weiss knew was that she needed to do something to help comfort her.

Not that Weiss really knew what she could do.

She reached over and placed a hand on top of Blake's. Blake understood and turned her hand, taking Weiss' hand in her own. Their fingers laced together, and Weiss squeezed ever so gently to make sure that Blake felt secure there. "Do you think that he would follow you?" Weiss asked, because she really needed to get inside of Blake's head.

"I think he would." Blake replied, shifting nervously in her seat. "I think that he found me because he can recognize my motorcycle anyways. He went in and found me, decided that he deserved the seat across from me, and started..." Blake shut herself up, shaking her head before glancing over at Weiss. "He wanted me to go back to working with him."

That told Weiss just about everything that she'd needed to know in itself. This was the partner that Blake and told her about, the one that she'd done infiltrations in the past with. The partner that Blake was working very hard to cut off from herself.

Weiss looked Blake in the eye, feeling completely stunned more than anything else. Blake looked at her with a weird look on her face. She was doing her best to understand, but Weiss didn't like the anxiety that began to rise.

"Is... there something that I should worry about?" Weiss asked, keeping her voice down. "Blake?"

Blake looked from Weiss to the other two and she took in an audible breath of air. Weiss felt her heart sink in her chest, because there was no way that was good.

"Weiss," Blake began, hesitating on her name. "Is it true that your family is working on a fundraiser?"

Weiss was a little bit taken aback, because she hadn't really heard anything about a benefit of any sort. If there was something being planned, it was probably being done from within the company's board room. In that case, it meant that Weiss had been purposely locked out of the conversation.

And that left her unsure of what she was supposed to say.

"I... suppose that could be possible." Weiss said, clutching Blake's hands a little bit tighter. "What-"

"Wait." Coco cut into the conversation and locked her gaze onto Weiss. "What do you mean they could be?"

"Nobody's said anything to me about it." Weiss replied, like that was going to be enough to excuse this all. "If something is going on, then..."

Blake looked between the others. "I have to ask because it's possible that there will be someone coming to the benefit for the sake of..."

It was scary to think about, whatever was being planned. Weiss didn't have even the slightest clue as to what she was supposed to do. If she went to someone that would be involved in the planning of such an event, then she knew that she would find herself in a position where she had no choice but to give up the information about how she'd garnered that information. In doing so, Weiss would have no choice but to inform the people that were in charge of her future that she was seeing a reporter from The Fang on a regular, even romantic basis.

"Blake?" Weiss asked, knowing that there was the sound of distinct apprehension creeping into her voice. "What is going on?"

Blake looked between them all, and Weiss felt the car roll to a stop. She looked out the window quickly and saw that Klein had decided to take them somewhere that was relatively out of the way. He'd parked them in a garage near the hotel that they'd decided was going to be their dinner place. And that should have been a comfort to Weiss, but it wasn't.

She didn't know that it could ever be.

Finally, Blake decided to just give up the information that she was so desperately dancing around.

"Adam-" She began, "My old partner. He's from the more... radical side of The Fang's reputation. He has his reasons to hate SchneeCorp, but those aren't important. It seems like he's convinced that SchneeCorp's charitable foundations are corrupt. And if they aren't, he'll make it look that way."

"Where is he getting that idea?" Weiss asked, because she'd never heard of such a thing. It was a rumor that had clearly escaped her for some amount of time, assuming that it was a rumor. Despite everything, and her wanting to think good things about her father's company, it was hard to believe that they were squeaky clean across the board. If her grandfather were still in the picture it would be different, but he'd died before Weiss had been born. "I've never-"

"I don't know." Blake said, her eyes snapping straight to Weiss' face. "I'm going to do what digging I can to find out, but if this is true, then that benefit needs to be looked after. Perhaps with private security or something. I can get photos of him for you to hold onto just in case he tries going, but-"

"But?"

Blake closed her eyes, collecting herself. "Adam is crafty, and I doubt that he'd go alone. He has a partner by the name of Onyx, but I don't know if they'll be working together on this one."

Weiss nodded slowly, not at all sure of how she wanted to react to what Blake had just said. Knowing that there was going to be something for them to worry about was one thing, but for now-

She hesitated and looked to the front of the car before knocking on the partition to sell away their privacy. "Klein?" Weiss asked. "Are you listening?"

"I am, Miss Schnee." Klein responded, rolling the partition down and looking back at the four of them in the back seat. "And I must say, this is all very troubling."

Weiss nodded. "Would you be able to find a way to get this information into the appropriate hands?" Weiss asked her family's butler. She knew that he wasn't necessarily going to be closely linked to everything that went on in this potential benefit, but Weiss could trust that Klein would know who to talk to.

"Of course." Klein responded, with a nod of his head. His gaze strayed over to where Blake was sitting, and Weiss followed it to look at Blake's expression. "Would you be able to get more information with regards to this matter, Miss Belladonna?"

"I don't know." Blake said, after a rather long moment of hesitation. Like she was doing her best to weigh the possibility that she would make this situation more dangerous in the long run. "I'm not exactly looking to hunt down Adam but..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, and Blake had a rather distant look on her face before she allowed herself to continue. "I think that I might know somebody that would be able to help us, though."

"Who?" Weiss asked, blinking and feeling a rather sudden spike of apprehension.

"My editor." Blake said finally. "Ilia Amitola. She's a little bit more moderate by comparison and..." Her voice trailed off for a long moment. "Adam mentioned her. I don't know why, though. I'll see whether or not she's able to help us at all, and if not-"

"You have my number." Klein said. "As soon as you know, please contact me directly and I will be sure to get whatever our security will need to know into the proper hands."

"Good." Blake said. She reached for her pocket and Weiss watched as she pulled out her phone and went straight to her photos. Weiss cocked her head to the side, curious, and watched as Blake pulled up a couple of photos that she'd apparently had stored on her phone for some time. "For now, these might be all I can give you." Blake said, turning her phone to show the photographs one by one.

Klein nodded. "Send them to myself and Miss Schnee, if you could." He requested, holding his head up high.

"Right." Blake said, and moments later Weiss felt her phone vibrate to tell her that the message had arrived. All in all, everything that she'd learned so far that day was far from comforting. It didn't exactly make up for how nervous it all made her. It didn't make Weiss think that the benefit would be any safer, whenever it ended up being.

The worst part was that Weiss knew for a fact that she was going to have no choice to wait it out, and Weiss hated that in about every way that was possible.

There was another awkward quiet that fell over the space. Weiss looked from Klein to Blake, and then to her friends. Finally, her gaze tracked to the large building outside and that told her that it was probably for the best if they at least tried to go out and take care of some things.

"Klein?" Weiss asked, blinking and looking to the man. "Should we be able to go inside?"

"Of course, Miss Schnee." Klein responded. "You know that you just have to call, and then you'll be able to go."

"Thank you, Klein." Weiss answered as she climbed out of the car. The others followed after her. Klein led the way inside to get them checked in for the evening, and then once the rest of them were in the room, Weiss took a seat on the large bed.

The others all did the same, and Weiss saw Neptune reaching for the television remote. At the same time, Coco was reaching for the room service menu, since they were going to have to make up for the fact that they'd been planning to eat together somehow.

Lastly, Weiss looked up at Blake and then pat the space on the bed beside her.

Blake didn't say anything, she just took the seat at Weiss' side and the two of them ended up curled together for the most time. Dinner would come, and eventually Neptune and Coco went back to Coco's room for the night.

They'd said something about wanting to give Blake and Weiss some privacy.

Weiss didn't know how she felt about any of it, but she was at the very least willing to take the chance for herself and Blake to have some time to themselves.

The biggest surprise of all ended up being that the two of them went to bed together in the same place.

And somehow, despite everything, Weiss managed to feel safe through it all.

It wouldn't last.


	15. a little bit closer

Blake woke up first thing in the morning. The first thing that she realized was that Weiss was still there, sleeping curled into Blake's side without a care in the world. Her white hair had splayed out everywhere around her. It looked silky and soft, and Weiss...

She looked at peace, despite everything. Even knowing that things were wrong and that they possibly were in danger, Weiss managed to be calm and impossibly relaxed.

Blake closed her eyes and let herself relax back into the bed at Weiss' side a little bit more. She didn't end up falling asleep, but for some time Blake just laid there and listened to the gentle rhythm of Weiss' quiet breathing.

In that hotel room and in that moment, Blake felt safe. Adam was far from her and didn't know where she was. That in itself was comforting to a degree, and Blake intended to indulge in it for as long as she could.

Blake knew that she was going to need to talk to Weiss about Adam more directly at some point. There were a lot of things that Blake had been trying hard to dance around for the sake of her own privacy. Weiss had wanted things to be more even between them and Blake had tried to give Weiss that much. The problem was that Adam was too sore a topic to explain easily.

But now, with things as they were, Blake knew that she needed to tell Weiss about Adam and just what she was afraid of. All that she hoped was that Weiss wouldn't end up looking at her differently once the messy history was out there for scrutiny. That was probably the one thing that Blake was the most afraid of above all else.

There were too many ways for things to go wrong, and Blake could not forget that. It was impossible.

It occured to Blake for just a moment that if she wanted to she could just crawl out of bed, Weiss be damned. After all, this was a hotel and it was sure to have _some_ sort of continental breakfast. Naturally, there was the possibility that Weiss would prefer to order something to the room, but Blake really wanted at least a mug of tea to start her morning off.

And that left Blake with a dilemma once more. It was just yet another cruel reminder that when it came to Weiss' world and her way doing things, Blake was absolutely clueless.

For that reason, Blake laid there in bed beside Weiss for another hour. She only got up once she'd reached a point where she couldn't just lie in bed any longer. Blake wriggled her way out of the bed as carefully as she could possibly manage. She was surprised by just how much she was afraid to wake Weiss up, and Blake wished that she had a better way of knowing why.

She slipped off to the bathroom, and when Blake came back into the room she saw that Weiss had woken up and was checking the messages on her phone. Weiss looked exhausted, staring down at the little screen with something unreadable on her face.

Blake let herself linger by the door for a few moments too long, just watching Weiss exist in the quiet of the hotel room. Weiss didn't seem to even notice that she was there, too engrossed with her own morning routine.

Weiss set her phone down at her side. Only then did Blake make hr approach, and it was only when the board creaked under her foot than Weiss noticed that she was there. Weiss looked up at Blake with sleepy, wide eyes.

"Good morning." Weiss greeted Blake.

Blake just crossed the room and seated herself on the bed at Weiss' side. "Good morning." She paused for a moment, not quite sure of how she wanted to deal with the awkwardness of the morning so far. It wasn't as though the two of them knew each other particularly well, interviews and impromptu meetings aside. Blake just wished that she had even the slightest clue as to how to navigate the situation. "Did I wake you up?"

"You didn't." Weiss said, picking up the phone and waving it in a bored fashion. "Klein was just checking in."

"Oh." Blake blinked. Klein? If he was checking in, then did that mean that there was something wrong?

Weiss looked at Blake and she seemed to realize just what Blake was thinking. Her expression sank into a soft smile before she decided to explain. "He wanted to let me know that he's gotten information on the benefit, what dinner would be at the mansion, and that there wasn't any sign that anyone had come back the night before. He also wanted to tell me what the weather would be like and that my schedule was clear."

"Oh." Blake said. It was all good to know, comforting through and through. At the very least, she knew for a fact that Adam hadn't gone after the Schnee manor the night before. It wasn't a great comfort, but Blake was going to take it for what it was.

She tried not to think about the possibility that Adam had figured out where the two of them were staying. She didn't want to think about the chance that the two of them had been tracked down for no reason other than Adam's fury.

Weiss cocked her head to the side a little bit, and Blake felt herself flush slightly. She knew that she was acting a little bit paranoid, and didn't really know what to do with herself. So Blake kept herself seated on the bed and placed her hands in her lap.

For just a moment too long Weiss' gaze lingered on her before Weiss decided that she wanted to explain herself.

"It's something that Klein has been doing since I was little." Weiss began, reaching for her phone and opening up her messages once more, almost like it was a nervous tic of hers. "He was the one that looked after me and my siblings when we were kids. So he'd always make sure we knew what we'd have for dinner and what breakfast would be. When we got older that stretched into just about everything else."

Blake blinked, because somehow despite everything that she did know it was hard for her to imagine Klein as having such an intimate relationship with the Schnee family. She'd always been under the impression that he was just a servant, not someone that had such a direct hand in the upbringing of their children. Perhaps that was simply because of the way in which Klein chose to present himself when he passed on information. It was just odd how closely Klein's professional and personal lives seemed to be entwined.

The way that Weiss talked about him was purely fond, though.

"That's... very kind of him." Blake said, feeling at a bit of a loss for words. She couldn't think of even her own parents having that close of a hand in her life. Even back when she'd been a kid or living with them, they'd always chosen to stay fairly hands off with her.

Blake had always liked that about her parents. If she wanted space, they would always give her as much space as she needed. If they were truly worried, only then did they choose to intervene.

"It is." Weiss admitted, letting herself lean back against the headboard of the bed. "He doesn't have to anymore really, but the routine is nice. And I think it's nice that he cares so much."

Blake nodded. She let herself climb into bed a little bit more properly before leaning back against the headboard herself. She sat there on the bed, shoulder to shoulder with Weiss.

Eventually the two of them were going to have to do something to get up. Blake knew that she wanted to get something to eat at the very least. After all of that, Blake didn't know what she was going to do.

Blake blinked. "I was thinking that we should see about getting something for breakfast." She said, keeping her voice down. "I'm sure that you're going to want to check in with your friends."

"I can do that anytime." Weiss said, blinking and reaching for the menu that Neptune had left on the side table the night before. She picked it up and Blake watched as she turned it over in search of the breakfast menu. "Food does sound nice, though."

"Will you be paying?" Blake asked, and she couldn't help exactly how quickly she began to feel wrong about it. There was a certain sort of undeniable guilt that came with her asking Weiss to pay for food, but Blake couldn't exactly afford it herself.

"I can." Weiss said, blinking. "You know that you don't have to worry about that, don't you?"

"I don't know." Blake admitted, leaning back and letting her head tilt back against the headboard a little bit more. "I feel bad."

Weiss hesitated, her eyes flicking down like she was trying to figure out what she wanted to do. "You shouldn't." Weiss said, keeping her voice down. Blake was shocked by the feeling of Weiss' hand resting on top of her own. Somehow, despite the night before, that was one of those things that she hadn't been thinking of or preparing for. "I like having you here."

Blake nodded and allowed herself to turn her hand and lace their fingers together. "I like being here." She paused. "You know, I have friends that want to meet you sometime too."

"Really?" Weiss asked, her expression sinking all at once as she slumped back a little more. She ended up lying the menu back down in her lap. "Is there a particular reason for that?"

Blake paused, because she got the definite feeling that there was something that Weiss wanted to say. "They want to know who I'm seeing mostly." Blake explained. "They care a lot about me, and..."

"So this isn't about meeting me because of my name or my family's wealth." Weiss said, and there was definite bitterness in her tone. It left Blake wondering how many times Weiss had been brought into situations with the intent of people making friends with her for the sake of getting gifts, or money, or publicity for themselves alone.

That, more than anything, helped to explain why she felt so bad about having Weiss pay for things. Blake didn't want to be the same as everyone else that had probably come into Weiss' life.

"No." Blake said, deciding that it was for the best if she was upfront about what they were doing. "Yang and Ruby just... like knowing people." She paused. "They're sisters, not really attached to anything like what we do. And Yang is my roommate, so she's invested in who I date in her own way."

"Really?" Weiss asked. "You're sure that they would just want to meet me?"

"I am." Blake sighed, smiling slightly as she thought back to her last conversation that she'd shared with the sisters. "Yang was talking to me about how she wanted to go clubbing with me. I think that she wanted to meet you in that sort of setting."

Weiss laughed a little bit, but it was a choked back sort of laugh. The kind that was barely allowed to escape her mouth as she sat there. "I don't really like going to nightclubs." Weiss said, blinking and looking up at the ceiling herself. "But if that's how they want to meet me..."

"You're okay with it?" Blake asked, because it was probably a good idea to try and clarify that ahead of time. "Because if that's what you want to do-"

"I'd be fine with it." Weiss said quietly. "If it's really that important to your friends that they get to meet me sometime-"

"it is." Blake sighed. "I can tell them that you'd be willing to meet, but I can't really tell you much about how it'll go. Ruby and Yang are kind of... different."

"Could you define different?"

"You'll understand when you meet them." Blake shrugged. "I can promise you that. Ruby and Yang are good people. They'll be good to you. They're just kind of… eccentric."

Weiss nodded slowly, and seemed to relax a little bit. She picked up the menu once more and just pointed at something on it. Blake glanced over and nodded, since it seemed like a good enough choice for what their breakfast could be.

Instead of anything else being said on the matter, Weiss just picked up the hotel phone and called to ensure that they could have something to eat.

Once the call was done, Weiss relaxed in beside Blake. Blake felt a strange urge to wrap her arm around Weiss' shoulder, but decided that it perhaps was better to leave the heiress some space.

Weiss decided to speak up on her own volition. "I think that I might be okay with it." She paused. "Seeing your friends, I mean. If you're sure that they are genuine."

"They are." Blake gave her final reassurance and reached over for her phone so that she could send a message off to Yang. Blake wasn't really expecting to hear back from her roommate anytime soon, but when she knew what was going to happen for a fact, she was going to be sure to tell Weiss.

She just turned and rested her head against Weiss'. The girl at her side let out a quiet, pleased sound, and cuddled in just a little bit closer.

For now, the two of them could enjoy their breakfasts.

Everything else could come after.

* * *

The day had ended up being rather long and even exhausting for Weiss. After their breakfast, Weiss had decided that it was for the best if she went home to the manor to make sure that she had things in order there. She and Klein had talked for a little bit about what was going on, but only long enough for a briefing of sorts on the matter.

Klein had done his best to get in contact with the people in charge of planning the benefit. The information that he'd passed on to Weiss had been more than enough. It would be in a week or two, and once that happened, she was going to have plenty to work on. Whitley was the one at the helm of the planning, so it wasn't completely out of her reach for her to get involved.

The good thing was that it wasn't a lot like some of the fundraisers that Weiss had attended in the past. This one wasn't put together by her father, and so Weiss would have a little bit more freedom there as a result.

She was mostly glad for it, but the fact that there was so much that she didn't know about made her nervous.

Weiss stopped by the hospital to briefly check in on her father. It was almost more out of formality than anything else, but Weiss felt like it was still the right thing to do. Once matters at the hospital had been properly attended to, Weiss called Coco and Neptune to offer an invitation to the nightclub that Blake had mentioned that night. At least if she had the two of them there, things had the potential to be less awkward.

The rest of the day went by in a bit of a blur. Weiss got ready for the night ahead of her, did her best to dodge her brother and mother before finally going to the nightclub herself, joining with Coco and Neptune along the way.

The club that Blake had invited her out to was nothing like what she'd been to before. It was large, and probably dirty inside. Blake and her friends were waiting outside, Blake leaning against the wall next to a blonde woman and a shorter girl standing with them, talking excitedly and gesturing wildly through whatever she was saying.

"Looks like a party." Coco joked at Weiss' side. "You ready?"

"I am." Weiss said, blinking and beginning towards the club with her friends.

The club was loud, and it felt like there was a smog of perfume that was permanently changing the way that the interior was. It was enough to make Weiss' nostrils burn, and the way that her hair lit up under the blacklights was interesting, if nothing else. Neptune was getting a similar effect, but Weiss knew for a fact that he was only getting it because of whatever dye he liked to use.

As for Weiss, it made her feel like a beacon.

They found Blake and her friends at a table in the back, and Weiss approached her calmly enough. Blake and Yang were seemingly bickering over something. Yang picked her head up and spotted Weiss, planting an elbow firmly in Blake's ribs.

Weiss saw Blake wince, and then Blake pulled away from the table to approach Weiss. She wrapped an arm over Weiss' shoulder, and Weiss was glad to sink into it. Blake had come wearing that jacket of hers, and Weiss really liked that, but not for reasons that she wanted to name. They approached the table and Weiss watched Blake pick up a bottle of whatever she'd been drinking before pointing towards a small door at the back.

Yang nodded and turned, picking up her own drink while Ruby bounced after her. Weiss and Blake walked out together, with Neptune not far behind them. Weiss had absolutely no idea where Coco had gotten off to in the few moments since they'd come inside, and Weiss wasn't really sure that she even wanted to know. Regardless, she was sure that Coco would be able to find them easily enough.

They stepped outside, and there was a slight chill to the air that Weiss had barely noticed before moving through the hot nightclub. The door closed behind Neptune, and that was when Blake decided to give some introductions.

"Weiss," Blake said, sliding her arm away from Weiss' shoulders for the sake of giving Weiss a little bit more space to move around in. Weiss couldn't exactly act like she wasn't glad for it, because it meant that she was going to be able to go through this whole thing properly. "You should meet Ruby and Yang." Blake gestured to the two sisters respectively.

Weiss just bowed her head slightly. "It's nice to meet you." She said, smiling before straightening back up. She didn't want to get into it too much, but she did glance over her shoulder to see Neptune, who was smiling widely.

"I'm Neptune." Neptune took a step forward, offering his hand towards Yang. Yang gave him a look and rolled her eyes before reaching out and shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, we're glad to have you." Yang said, pulling away from Neptune and leaning back against the back wall. "Mostly, we're glad to meet Blake's new friends."

"Yang-"

"It is true." Ruby piped up, smiling widely. "We've been wanting to meet you for a while, Weiss." Ruby cocked her head to the side in a way that was almost curious, and while there were things that Weiss wanted to say, she couldn't think of any of them. Mostly, she was glad that they were somewhere where being able to hear each other was something actually possible.

Because really, trying to shout over the thumping club music wasn't something that Weiss wanted to get caught up doing, and she was sure that Blake felt the same way about the matter.

And really, Weiss didn't actually know what she wanted to think about that. Really, there was a part of her that almost wanted to be able to go ahead and shy away from Blake's friends entirely.

"Well, I'm glad to meet you." Weiss said, knowing that she was forcing her smile a little bit more than she strictly needed to. However, without knowing what she was really supposed to be saying or doing, Weiss was going to have to do whatever she could to make this less awkward.

"Aww, you stop it." Ruby said, waving an arm in Weiss' direction playfully. "We're just glad Blake is finally letting us meet you!"

"Well, you know that there's a lot that goes into that sort of thing." Weiss said, feeling her cheeks beginning to heat up and redden. "Especially since Blake and I met through work."

"Weiss is right." Blake said, speaking up and stepping in closer to Weiss by just a little bit. "It wasn't exactly like we could just introduce you."

"Yeah, I know." Ruby said, pouting just slightly.

Weiss looked over at Neptune, who was leaning in towards Yang and seemingly trying to say something. She just cocked her head to the side, feeling a little bit like there was something that she wanted to say to the people there. She blinked and looked up at Yang.

"Uh, Yang, right?" Weiss asked. "You're Blake's roommate, aren't you?"

Almost immediately Yang's attention snapped straight away from Neptune and back onto the others. "Yeah!" Yang said, and she smiled in a way that Weiss could only really consider to be mischievous. "Why are you asking?" There was something to her tone and the way that Yang arched her eyebrows that just made Weiss blush more and more. "Because if you need me to be gone for a night or two, I can do that."

Blake's eyes widened, and she leaned in towards Yang, reaching out to point a finger in Yang's direction. "Don't-"

Yang smirked though. "Nah, I'm just kidding." She said, looking at Weiss directly now. "I guess it's kind of weird that you and I are only meeting now though?"

"It is." Weiss admitted. "Not that I've been over to yours and Blake's apartments that many times."

Yang shrugged. "Blake keeps work to herself." She admitted, and Weiss just looked over at Blake. Blake didn't say anything, but she did answer with a shrug of her own. "So It's not really that surprising."

Weiss looked from Neptune to Blake, unsure of whether or not there was something else that she should have said. Maybe there was a way to make these things feel less one sided.

However, the club itself would allow her a little bit more space than Weiss had been anticipating. The music from inside clearly changed songs, and Weiss could practically feel the thump of the bass from where she was standing. She glanced up at Blake.

"Maybe we should all go in and dance?"

"If you want to." Yang said, stretching her arms out at her sides. "I know that _I'll_ be turning heads in there."

"Yeah, you will." Neptune laughed, grinning widely.

"Dancing sounds fun." Blake said, gesturing towards the door. Weiss just followed along before the two of them slipped back into the busy nightclub.

As Weiss had been expecting, the floor of the club was busy. There were clusters of people dancing, and Weiss was sure that Coco was somewhere in there, but she didn't quite know where exactly. Coco liked parties, so she could have been anywhere. She and Blake made their way out into the middle of the dance floor and soon enough they found themselves dancing close together.

Weiss almost found herself a little too aware of everything that was going on. She couldn't help but feel like she was managing to make herself into a distraction, even though there wasn't anyone looking at her. She was sure that it had to do with the blacklights.

Blake didn't say anything about it though. Instead she just reached out for Weiss and Weiss was glad to take Blake's hand and slip in close. Their fingers were clasped together for only so long before Blake's hands slipped away from Weiss. Instead, Weiss found herself pressed in close against the black haired woman.

There was something about the closeness and the environment that was setting her on fire. It was almost romantic and _sexy_ even, and Weiss was glad to sink further into Blake's touch. By the time the music managed to slow down, Weiss was pressed into Blake with her arms wrapped around the woman's neck.

A part of her, a distant part of Weiss, told Blake that she probably needed to take the chance to go and get a drink. At least that way she was going to make the craving for touch make more sense.

The two of them danced though, and then when Weiss and Blake were both tired they went to the bar to get drinks before slipping back outside with them and then taking their time sipping them.

This was a pattern that would repeat several times over.

By the time that the bar was closing, Weiss had sent a message off to her friends letting know that she wasn't going back to the hotel with them. The two messages that she got in response were playful, just telling her to have fun, and be safe, depending on who Weiss heard from.

Really, it wasn't a surprise when Weiss and Blake found themselves in the hotel that they'd shared the night before in again.

They laid there in bed together, pressing kisses to each other's mouths for some time before Weiss finally got tired and went to sleep. She could deal with everything else in the morning.

It was just a matter of time.

That night when she slept, Weiss didn't notice the feeling of Blake being there at her side besides the heat. Blake was kicking off heat like a furnace, and between the scents of the night before and the comfort, she made it more than easy for Weiss to be able to just rest.

Morning would come easily enough.


	16. touch

**To maintain compliance with FFN's site guidelines, this chapter has been heavily edited down from its original form. Those looking for the full-length version can find it on the Archive of Our Own version of this story which can be read here:** **archiveof*our*own.*com/works/11586351 (remove asterisks)**

* * *

Blake woke up in the morning to streaks of bright sunlight that painted the room gold, with her head throbbing and in a space that was very much _not_ her own. She blinked, trying to get the exhaustion to slip away from herself at least a little. At least enough so that she would get up and be able to function without her morning tea. She turned her head to the side, trying her best to ignore the way that it made her eyes hurt and how dry her mouth was.

Her thoughts only managed to stay focused on her apparent (albeit slight) hangover for a second.

Weiss was there at her side, still asleep and curled up against her pillow, sleeping peacefully.

Right.

They had come back to a hotel the night before after the nightclub. That was a thing that happened.

Which meant that Blake probably wasn't going to be the only one feeling nasty after the night before.

Blake hauled herself out of bed, with a little bit less care than she'd showed the day before. It took some effort to drag herself off to the bathroom. Blake allowed herself a quick shower in the hopes that she could at the very least make herself feel a little bit less gross with all things considered. It left her coming away feeling refreshed, and a glass of water on the way out did wonders for her head.

Once she was done, Blake stepped out to see that Weiss was still there, curled up in bed with a blanket pulled high up on her shoulders.

They were probably going to have to talk about the night before, regardless of whether or not anything had happened. It didn't seem that anything had happened beyond getting a bit heated at the club, but talking was important. Communication made relationships work. Blake knew that, and yet she didn't want to find herself infuriating or frustrating Weiss any more than the heiress strictly needed.

Especially over what would probably turn out to be nothing.

She padded across the room and took a seat at Weiss' side on the bed before allowing for herself to lie down in that spot. The space on the bed that had been Blake's had gone cold in her absence, but that was fine. Blake just took the chance to get her phone and notepad from her jacket-

And for what?

Blake didn't really know what she was intending to take notes on. It wasn't as though the night before had been anything even close to useful for work. It had been an entirely social outing, meant as simple enjoyment for everyone involved.

And yet…

Blake couldn't exactly do anything to help that feeling that told her that the smartest thing she could have done was go ahead and write it all down anyways.

But she didn't. She stopped herself, set her things back down on the bedside table, and let herself just relax. Soon enough Weiss was going to be getting up for the morning. When that happened, then Blake was sure that the two of them were going to be left with plenty of things to talk about.

At her side, Weiss shifted just slightly. Blake went completely still, not sure that she wanted to move around at all. Not when Weiss seemed to be just barely clinging to the edges of consciousness. It felt risky being there, all of a sudden.

A part of Blake couldn't help but wonder if the smart thing would be to make a room service order then and there. At the very least Blake could ensure that she and Weiss were going to have access to breakfast. Weiss probably wouldn't want to try for a continental breakfast, and Blake would have preferred the privacy anyways.

After all, Blake couldn't exactly pretend like she wasn't feeling tired or anything. Or like she hadn't maybe drank a little bit more the night before than she should have. She needed to find a way to clear it out of her system, and Weiss would probably need it too anyways.

Her gaze strayed over to the phone and the room service menu. A moment later Blake let out a quiet sigh before dragging herself up out of the bed and stalking her way over to the phone.

Blake picked the menu up and read it over several times. She didn't really know what sorts of things Weiss would even want for breakfast. All that she could really be sure of was that Weiss was going to want some coffee to go with her morning.

There was also that one detail about who was going to pay for the meal if she made the order. Blake was fairly certain that she wouldn't be able to handle it if it was left to her alone.

Blake sighed and walked over to the bed again, unable to make the call unless she knew what was going on.

She seated herself on the bed next to Weiss and reached out for her partner. Blake set a gentle hand on Weiss' shoulder, and that seemed to be enough to stir the heiress on its own. Weiss picked her head up and stared up at Blake with an exhausted expression.

"What?" She mumbled the word in a way that came off as almost whining.

"Hey." Blake greeted Weiss, knowing that the greeting wasn't exactly what she would have wanted to give for the morning. It was the least that she could offer Weiss, at the very least. The situation could have been worse. "It's morning?"

Weiss stared at her and her expression was blank and irritated. It wasn't at all encouraging.

"I was going to order something for breakfast." Blake explained herself, pulling her hand away from Weiss and giving the heiress a little bit more room. Her hands ended up there in her lap, and Blake just waited for Weiss to say something.

"You... wanted to..."

"Room service." Blake explained again. "I figure that you're going to want some coffee?"

"Yes, please." Weiss replied as she pushed herself so that she could sit up properly. She brushed her bangs out of her face, and then a moment later Blake watched as Weiss tied her soft white hair away from her face. "That sounds wonderful."

Blake nodded and reached for the phone, calling in an order. While she did that, Weiss got up and began to collect some things that she could have used for her own morning. Blake watched as Weiss collected her clothes, and then slipped off to the bathroom. A minute later Blake heard the shower turn on, and relaxed a little bit.

The morning was going well, and the awkwardness over the night before that Blake had been expecting was yet to appear in any capacity. That on its own should have been an encouraging thing.

However, Blake couldn't help but be aware of the fact that she and Weiss both hadn't exactly woken up completely yet. Weiss was probably going to be a bit more put together once she was out of the shower, but Blake wanted to wait until after breakfast at the least.

That was probably going to be their best shot at actually enjoying the morning together. That was something Blake would have been willing to bet money on.

She relaxed back into the bed again and let her eyes slip shut for a moment.

The good thing about room service was that it took some time to be prepared, so by the time that Weiss' shower was being turned off, their breakfast had been delivered.

Blake accepted the delivery and began to lie everything out buffet style on a table in the hotel room that sat under their little window. She also poured herself a mug of tea and seated herself at the table. When Weiss joined her, then she would let herself eat.

Moments later, Weiss was stepping out. She was still wrapped in her towel, and her long hair had been tied up in a second one. Blake swallowed and averted her eyes politely, if only because she didn't know what sort of ground she and Weiss actually were on at the moment. All that Blake knew was that she really didn't want to be the one making things worse.

"It's here?" Weiss asked as she stepped up to the side of the bed.

"It is." Blake confirmed, keeping her eyes glued onto her phone very pointedly. "I figured I'd wait for you before eating."

"Thank you." Weiss replied, and Blake heard the sound of her moving around and pulling on some clothes. Blake felt a slight pang of guilt, since neither of them had really left home the night before expecting to spend the night anyways. "I figured we were going to eat and then we'd check out?"

"That sounds good." Blake replied, looking up once she was sure that it would be fine for her to do so. Weiss looked utterly exhausted. The heiress crossed the room and took a seat at the chair across from Blake before picking up her plate.

"I think that it's best if we separate after this." Weiss said, her voice surprisingly stern for the moment. "I think that I should probably go and check on my father today."

"And your family?" Blake asked, since that was a question that she felt she needed to ask anyways. "If there's a benefit coming, you should probably be preparing for it."

"Which I am doing." Weiss replied, holding her head up high and not daring to let herself waver for even a second. "Besides, I'm sure that you have things that you need to do as well. You have a story to write, don't you?"

Blake blinked, because yeah, there were definitely things that she probably could have spent her time looking into. One of the easier things that she could have done was that she could have just gone ahead and gone ahead on some research regarding the Schnee fundraiser. Perhaps if she asked around and talked to Ilia she would have the ability to get an idea of _what_ it was that Adam was actually planning.

There were only a lot of ways in which that could backfire, but Blake needed to do what she could to help.

"You're right." Blake finally said as she moved to begin filling her plate with things that she could enjoy for her breakfast. "I have work to do, and I think that I should probably let Yang know that I still live with her."

Weiss nodded, but Blake couldn't help but notice the obvious stain of pink on the heiress' cheeks. Weiss was very pointedly not looking at her in that moment, and that left Blake feeling at least a little bit puzzled by the situation before her. Weiss sighed. "Of course." She said, looking down at her hands. "I figure that Neptune and Coco will be wanting to spend some time with me as well."

Blake nodded and took the moment to finish filling her plate. She took the seat that she'd been using across from Weiss and stored her phone out of sight before stabbing at her food with a fork for the first time.

Weiss did the same, although she was much more delicate about the process than Blake was. It was something that Blake could at the very least be grateful for. The normality of it all made the situation feel like it was actually bearable.

The two of them ate their breakfasts in relative silence, and when they were finished Blake and Weiss stacked their plates on the table alongside their copious leftovers. Blake made her way over towards the bed to begin collecting her things when she noticed Weiss taking a seat on the edge on the other side.

Blake went silent and stared across at Weiss, who was looking at Blake with an expression that Blake hadn't seen on her before.

"What is it?" Blake asked, because she felt woefully unprepared for whatever it was that Weiss was thinking. She was sure that Weiss had perfectly normal intentions, but at the same time there was an unsureness about it all.

"Nothing." Weiss replied, her voice all too quiet. "I'm just thinking about last night."

Blake nodded, because yeah, that was a conversation that the two of them hadn't really had just yet. She also wasn't sure that it was necessarily a conversation that they were going to actually have either.

Weiss cocked her head to the side, and she did manage to look a little bit confused by Blake's reaction, maybe even put off by it. Blake didn't quite know how to react, so she just decided to settle into the space at Weiss' side. "Last night was..." Blake finally repeated, closing her eyes and letting out a slow breath so that she could hopefully approach all of this objectively. "It was certainly… something."

"I liked it." Weiss said, glancing away from Blake. "All of it. Although I don't know that I approve in your taste in nightclubs."

"Well, Yang chose it so you should bring it up with her." Blake replied with a slight shrug. "I enjoyed last night too."

Weiss nodded and began to scoot in a little bit closer to Blake. Blake didn't shift away, just allowed for the closeness, and when she felt the two of their hands brush together she didn't do anything to slip away from her.

Blake couldn't help but notice the heat of Weiss' skin against hers, and even allowed herself to lean in towards the heiress, even if it was only slightly. Weiss took it as an invitation though, leaning in even closer and turning so that she could actually touch Blake more.

As for Blake, the idea of getting in closer to Weiss didn't feel bad. She turned her body, setting her things down beside her and wasn't surprised at all when Weiss leaned in even closer to her. The woman raised a hand and placed it against her cheek before sinking her way into a long, slow kiss.

Blake let her eyes slip shut and sank into the touch a little bit more, scooting in closer to Weiss. Weiss took it as a very obvious invitation and pressed in even closer, turning her body more. Blake reached out for her, placing a hand on Weiss' shoulder that crept up the back of her neck and even up into that long silky hair that Blake had been wanting to be able to touch for so long.

A small noise escaped Weiss, and Blake practically wanted to drown in it. Weiss' hand made it to her shoulder, slipping down so that her thumb could stroke against Blake's collarbone. Blake just responded by pressing in towards Weiss more, taking the kiss over and twisting it so that she was beginning to press Weiss back towards the bed.

There was no resistance towards her actions. Weiss allowed herself to sink back into the mattress, her skirt already slipping up her thigh. The heiress was kicking off heat and she managed to be nothing short of irresistible. Blake shifted how she was lying so that she could brace herself at Weiss' side in a way that allowed her to lean over Weiss' body.

Blake pulled away so that she could breathe, and when she stared back down at Weiss she saw the woman looking up at her for who she really was. Her blue eyes were blown wide, her lips and face looking more pink than they normally did. She felt magnetic and Blake was made of iron. There was no escaping Weiss' pull.

"Blake." Weiss whispered, staring up at her in kind. "Blake."

"Hey." Blake replied, leaning in to press her lips to Weiss' once more. The kiss lingered for just a moment before Blake allowed herself to pull back away and watch the woman. "This isn't exactly how I thought our morning would go."

"I know." Weiss managed, her voice hoarse and husky. "I don't want to leave."

Blake nodded, and she was about to lean in for another kiss when she felt the tangle of slender fingers in her hair, and then a pressure. Weiss' leg wrapped around her own, and when Weiss insisted that the two of them turn and flipped, Blake moved with her.

Weiss ended up straddling Blake. She sat back, smiling down at Blake and Blake found herself all too aware of the situation all of a sudden. She couldn't ignore the way that Weiss' skirt was pooling around her waist, or the exposed pale thighs that were on both sides of her.

Or just how fragile Weiss managed to look, despite everything that Blake knew. Weiss reached down for her, setting her hands on Blake's shoulders, silently asking a question. Blake nodded, and Weiss took the opportunity to lean forward and lock her lips against Blake's. The kiss only deepened as Weiss pressed herself in closer, and Blake allowed her hands to slip up, wrapping around the heiress' waist.

"Blake." Weiss whispered against her lips. "Please." The request was punctuated with a roll of Weiss' hips. Blake's hands lowered, settling there and she stared up at Weiss.

For a moment, there were a thousand ideas that flit through Blake's mind. Things that would be the good or right answer, excuses and ideas for how to extract herself from the situation. The two of them were both running on a schedule of sorts, and yet Blake felt absolutely no urge to follow up on it. If Weiss was acting the way that she was, then Blake was more than willing to bet that the heiress felt similarly.

So when the time came to answer, Blake could only answer with an _'okay_.'


	17. playing catch up

**I fell a little bit behind so I posted two chapters this week, chapters 17 and 18. Make sure that you check them both out!**

 **Thank you for reading.**

* * *

Weiss stood by the hotel bathroom's floor-length mirror, fresh out of her second shower of the day and feeling clean and more energetic than she would have been otherwise. She felt _refreshed,_ in a way that she hadn't in a long time. She stared at herself in it and tilted her head to the side and double checking that there had been no visible marks left behind in Blake's wake that morning.

It had been a nice morning. Much nicer than Weiss would have had should she have left when she'd been intending to.

But that didn't make up for the fact that she and Blake were now going to have to go ahead and talk about their morning at some point, and clear the air on what had happened and what it actually meant. Weiss was sure that Blake was going to have something about her journalistic integrity that she would want to address and Weiss...

Well, she didn't really know _what_ she wanted to do. Regardless of situation or circumstance, she had her own feelings that she was going to need to sort out sooner than later. With all likelihood she would end up sharing them with Coco or Neptune later, and Weiss could only hope that they would be able to help guide her. At the very least she trusted that they would try.

Of course there was also the issue of the secrecy of it all. Weiss needed to keep this quiet, and while Neptune and Coco would try it was only a matter of time before someone came asking questions of their own. After all, it wasn't like she'd been back to the mansion in a few days, and while it was true that Klein knew where she was, Whitley or her mother were sure to notice her absence. Weiss suspected that one would come to her soon. Sooner than she would like.

"Blake?" Weiss called, picking up one of her earrings off of the countertop in front of her.

"Yes?" Blake replied, stepping into the bathroom calmly. She was in the process of tugging her shirt down her body, her hair tied back for the moment. Weiss glanced at her and couldn't help herself from getting an eyeful before taking a breath.

Weiss turned her head to face back towards the mirror. "Will you be able to drive me down to the mansion?" She asked, turning to face Blake head-on for the first time once she'd collected herself. "I think I should probably head back."

Blake paused, standing there by the bathroom door like she might have had a good idea as to what she wanted to do. Instead, she just sighed. "I don't mind." Blake said calmly. "Are you worried about something there?"

"I am." Weiss confirmed with a quiet sigh. "Whitley has no doubt noticed that I haven't been there."

"Have you told your friends that you're going back?"

"Not yet." Weiss sighed. She couldn't really pretend as though she wouldn't need to figure out what to do with Coco and Neptune sooner than later. The two of them were likely to stay there in Atlas until she gave them the sign that she wanted for them to go.

The only problem was that Weiss really didn't _want_ to have to see her friends go at all. Not if it meant that she would be left all but alone with her family.

Blake nodded and stepped up beside Weiss. She leaned against the dresser and Weiss couldn't help but blush at the realization that she was being watched.

"Blake," Weiss said, smiling and glancing away from the journalist. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Blake replied, shaking her head. "We can go as soon as you're ready. Just let me know when that is."

"It won't be long." Weiss murmured as she brought her hands down and away from her head. The earrings were there, sure enough. Secure and beautiful. Weiss smiled at herself. "It's been a lot of fun."

"Yeah," Blake replied, blinking. "It has been. I don't really want to see it end, but..."

"But it has to." Weiss finished for Blake. "Right?"

 _Only for today,_ Weiss hoped silently.

"Yeah." Blake laughed, crossing her arms over her chest and relaxing much more than Weiss was used to seeing from her. "You know that if you need me, you can call, right?"

"I do." Weiss smiled as she walked over to the bed and pulled on the jacket that she'd laid out on top of it. She had to make a mental note to be sure to change as soon as she got the chance, and to check in with Klein before anything else could happen. He was sure to have information for her about the things that were going on.

After all, the information that Blake had given them about the fundraiser and the possible threat against it was sure to have the butler busy. At the very least, Weiss could be certain that he was checking in with all sorts of friends in all sorts of places. After she saw Klein she would have to be sure to make her presence known to her brother somehow.

The chance that there would be a dinner that night would be in her favor though, and so Weiss wasn't too concerned.

She shook the thought from her mind and focused on dressing herself the rest of the way before Blake drove her across the city on her motorcycle and the two of them were stopping outside of the Schnee Manor gates.

Weiss kissed Blake goodbye, making sure that they were hidden behind the walls at the entrance before hurrying inside. Almost immediately after she stepped into the mansion, she was stopped.

"Why hello, sister." Whitley said, staring her down. It almost felt like he'd been waiting for her to arrive, but Weiss was sure that wasn't the case. If anything, he'd noticed her coming down the drive while he'd sat by the window and had decided to greet her.

The fact that Blake usually waited until Weiss was a safe distance into the family estate didn't make that any better. The chance was all too high that Blake had been seen and that was something that Weiss didn't know that she'd be able to deal with if that were the case.

"Hello, Whitley." Weiss responded, holding her head up high and hoping that there was nothing showing. Blake had been careful, but that didn't mean that Weiss was completely without anything to worry about. "How are you?"

"I was going to ask you the same." Whitley said, standing up tall and looking away from her in that wistful way of his before his gaze snapped back onto her. "It has been some time since we last saw you. You know that mother must be missing you."

Weiss frowned. It was an easy card to pull out. That didn't change that Weiss had only heard whispers of her mother in passing since she'd arrived back in Atlas. "I was busy." She admitted, because if she had a cover in the forms of Coco and Neptune, she wanted to use it. "Is that a problem?"

Whitley's face screwed up for a moment as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. Weiss couldn't help that her face acted similarly, though the quirk of her lips came mostly from a place of frustration.

"No." Whitley started, his voice sounding like it was surprisingly far away all things considered. Weiss blinked, because she didn't really know what to make of it. But she wouldn't get a chance to say anything, because her brother would just blow past her in speaking. "I've just been missing my sister as of late. Is that so wrong?"

And really, Weiss couldn't exactly act like there was anything wrong with it. She let out a sigh. "No." Weiss admitted calmly as she shifted from one foot to the other. The fact that neither of them were touching on how she'd gotten there was comforting.

Whitley smiled and fell into step beside Weiss. He was clearly hesitating, and Weiss just sighed and began on the way up to her bedroom. Unsurprisingly, Whitley just followed after her. "Have you gone in to see father today?" Whitley asked, and Weiss sighed as she began to pull her bedroom door open.

"I can't say that I have." Weiss explained as she allowed herself to take a seat on her own bed. "Like I said, I was a little busy."

"But of course." Whitley said, pacing in the space in front of Weiss' bed and looking at himself and his sister in the mirror. "I was going to be going to see him rather soon. I suppose that it wouldn't be too much to invite you along, would it sister?"

And if Weiss were being honest with herself, it was a very easy conclusion for her to reach that just about the _last_ thing that she wanted to do that day was go to see her father with Whitley of all people. But, Weiss had to admit, if she wanted to be able to go ahead and avoid any extra scrutiny, the best way to do that would be to go with her brother.

At the very least it had the chance of feeling like the way that things had been when the two of them had been young children and things had been simple and made sense. Back before their father had finally managed to drive their mother away almost entirely, and back before Winter had left.

The thought was actually enough to make Weiss _want_ to go with her brother.

"What time were you planning to go?" Weiss asked, blinking and watching her brother. Ideally, she would be able to change before the two of them left. At the very least, she wasn't exactly expecting for Whitley to stay glued to her side constantly for the rest of their day.

"In an hour." Whitley responded calmly. He reached out for something on Weiss' dresser and she had to crane her neck to try and figure out what it was. Finally, he turned towards her and Weiss was able to recognize what was resting there in her brother's hand.

It was the still-wrapped gift that Neptune had given her just before she'd had to leave Vale. Weiss had all but forgotten that it was there, and now that her brother was holding it she didn't really know what to do. The good thing was that she could continue to use it as a cover for her and Neptune dating, but-

Well, that was the problem, Weiss thought to herself. For her to have a gift from an alleged beau that she hadn't even bothered to open was a little more conspicuous than she would have liked. Especially when she knew for a fact that this wasn't the first time that her brother had seen it.

"I'll be sure to be ready for that." Weiss said, blinking and letting her hands rest together in her lap. Her brother was turning the box over in his hands, a curious look having crossed his face. Like he was doing his best to decode what anyone would have decided to give her. "Is that all?"

"No." Whitley said, tilting his gaze up so that it met Weiss', "But I am curious about this-" He held the box up for Weiss to see, and she let out a quiet sigh before getting up and crossing the room to meet her brother.

"It's a gift." Weiss explained calmly, keeping her voice as even as she could manage. "From Neptune."

Whitley frowned and offered the box to Weiss. She took it and held it carefully, calmly. She looked down at it, and couldn't help but think that whatever was inside was probably delicate, at least on some level. Neptune had good taste and Weiss knew that. It partially left her wondering about why she hadn't bothered to go ahead and open the box for herself and find out what was inside.

Mostly, she just felt like she had gotten to Atlas and had been so immediately caught up in her own business that the thought that she might have had other things to do hadn't even occurred to her at the time.

"I see." Whitley commented, frowning just slightly. "Why haven't you bothered to open it yet, if it's from your boyfriend?"

Weiss paused, because she knew that if he did know anything about her involvement with someone other than Neptune, this was going to be where it would come to light. Once that happened, Weiss had absolutely no clue as to how she was supposed to keep going or explain herself.

Mostly, she really, really didn't want to hear what her brother would have to say. She wanted to know what other members of their family would have to say even less, and should her father wake and the news get to him...

The thought was threatening enough on its own. And she really didn't want to have to face what fate it might bring further down the line. There was absolutely no part of Weiss that was able to act like she had no fear for what could happen in her too-near future.

"I've been saving it in case I feel like I need it." Weiss reached out and took the package from her brother's hand. "And I haven't felt like I needed it yet." Really, Weiss had no idea whether or not that was a story that her brother would buy into, but she could give it a try.

Whitley raised an eyebrow, telling her all too easily that he didn't believe a word that she had just said. Really, Weiss couldn't exactly blame him for it. Not when it was pretty obvious that she had been avoiding the mansion for days. Weiss just tried to ignore it as she moved to set the box back down where she had left it originally.

"I know that you are lying to me, sister." Whitley said, in a way that was entirely too calmly and too smooth. In a way that said rather clearly to Weiss that there was absolutely no way that he was lying to her. "And now I am just wondering what you're so afraid of that you can't share it with your family."

Weiss sighed and stared down at her hand, at where it was resting on top of the box and couldn't help but think about how far away it felt like she was. How was she supposed to be able to live there and exist there in Atlas when she had to keep up so many lies about herself? How was she supposed to get by when it felt like she had to tuck herself away at every chance just to stay safe?

A dangerous thought occurred to Weiss for just a second, that she _could_ just go ahead and tell her brother the truth, but she banished it just as quickly as it had arisen. It only would have caused trouble and Weiss knew that.

"It isn't any of your business." Weiss said, shooting her brother a glare that wasn't enough to make him waver.

"Oh, I'm sure that it isn't," Whitley said, beginning to walk to the door to the bedroom so that he could leave. He was checking his watch on his wrist, so obviously more occupied with his own thoughts than he ever would be with Weiss in truth. "But you do know that keeping secrets won't get us anywhere."

And suddenly, Weiss felt a chance coming. She picked her head up and approached her brother, standing a few feet to his back.

"Then why hadn't you told me about the fact that you're helping to organize a benefit?" Weiss asked, trying her best to put as much venom into her tone as she could. "Or about your meetings with SchneeCorp's Board of Directors?"

Whitley stopped dead in his tracks, there in the doorway. He turned slowly so that he could face Weiss again, and when he did there was something on his face that Weiss registered as being unadulterated rage. Like he was preparing himself to lash out at her or something.

"How did you find out about that?" Whitley asked. "And why are you accusing me of lying when you didn't even try to find that information out for yourself?"

"Because nobody has ever reached out to me about this." Weiss snarled back at her brother. "Ever. Nobody from the company, nobody from the family, _nobody_ that would have had an in with what is going on. I know what's happening, Whitley."

Whitley paused, his eyes widening for just a second like he was almost surprised before he decided to charge forward in the conversation. "Then you understand that our father had chosen his successor before you even arrived back in Atlas." All of the ice crept back into his voice, and Weiss was struck by the realization that she was staring not at her brother, but at the shadow of her father. A twisted, wretched shade of the brother she had once loved. "And that wasn't you."

"Yes."

Whitley blinked, still keeping his eyes on Weiss. "There is nothing that you don't know that you wouldn't have needed to know. Nothing that you, or our sister, or even our dear mother would have needed to know."

Weiss' eyes narrowed and she took a final step in towards her brother. This was going to be the last thing that she would say to him that day, she was willing to bet on it. She wouldn't go to see her father with him, and she was more likely to call her sister for help than anything else. She might spend some hours with Klein just looking for a chance to vent to someone.

"Then I suppose that you and I have nothing to talk about." Weiss bit the words out with as much venom as she could muster, because that was all that her brother deserved at that point. "Thank you for gracing me with your presence, Whitley, but you're not exactly _wanted_ here right now."

"Hmmm." Whitley responded, still holding his head up high as he stood there, straight backed with his hands behind his back. The perfect mirror of their father, just many years younger and possibly a bit less cruel. "Then I suppose that I will be seeing you later." He said calmly with a sigh. Weiss tore the door open with more force than she strictly needed.

Weiss watched her brother disappear through the door, which she allowed to slam shut as a true sign of her needing the distance from him. She closed her eyes and sighed, glad to finally be alone but unable to feel anything but hurt and upset.

She walked back to her bed, and landed on it. She bounced as she sat down, reaching for her phone in her pocket. Weiss turned it on, because the least that she could do was try to make a call and try to find some comfort wherever it would be able to be found.

Somehow she didn't feel like things were going to be okay.

Even if things had come to the conclusion that she had been waiting to hear properly, nothing felt like it would be alright. Not when she didn't know where she fit in the world all of a sudden because something that she had worked her entire life for had been ripped out from under her feet.

If there was a way to make it all feel okay, Weiss would have gone for it.

But nothing would. Not for some time. Weiss was sure of that.

The world crashed around her, and it burned.

* * *

"Last night was pretty crazy, huh?" Yang asked, poking at the eggs that were cooking in the skillet in front of her. Blake wasn't entirely sure what was driving her roommate to want to make eggs at seven o'clock in the evening, but it was happening and she was willing to deal with it. "You know, I think I might like your girlfriend's friends. They seem cool."

Blake rolled her eyes because she didn't exactly know where the conversation was coming from either. She mostly knew that she had been promised scrambled eggs and that she had a chance to spend some of her time with her roommate- something which had felt excessively scarce lately. She just drummed her fingers on the countertop instead and shrugged.

"Coco and Neptune are nice." Blake said, letting her eyes flicker away from Yang for just a moment. "I know that Weiss wanted the two of them around for a reason."

"Yeah, well those two definitely know how to party." Yang reached over for a clean plate, and began to shake the scrambled eggs that were inside of her skillet onto it. "I definitely wouldn't mind hanging out with them again. You think Coco would like Junior's?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Blake replied, keeping her eyes down and not wanting to look up at her roommate because she was beginning to get an idea as to where this conversation was going to go. If she was correct, then this was something that she definitely didn't want to think about. Blake hadn't gotten a chance to really process her thoughts with regards to the morning she had spent with Weiss just yet. "I like them though."

Yang nodded, approaching Blake slowly in a sort of calm way that Blake was entirely too used to seeing from her. She set the plate down in front of Blake, and for a second Blake couldn't help but wish that Ruby were there to join the conversation. Ruby would be sure to derail it away from where Blake was sure that it was about to go.

But the best way for Blake too approach it was for her to take it as calmly as possible, and so she was willing to try that. She picked up a fork that she'd set on the table when she had sat down and looked up at Yang.

And Yang just smirked down at her with that expression that meant that she knew that Blake was keeping some sort of secret. "I'm going to make more." Yang said calmly, turning slowly back to the stove. "But I want to actually catch up with you. It feels like I haven't seen you in days even though we were literally out last night."

Just like that, Blake felt a swath of shame wash over her because Yang was _right_. It did feel like the two of them were growing apart quite a bit, and with their specific arrangement that wasn't a good thing, because Blake and Yang had decided to move in together for a reason. They had been friends before the agreement to live together had been made, partially out of necessity and partially because the freedom of a shared apartment had been appealing.

It made Blake dip her head and an uncomfortable feeling began to settle down in her stomach that she really didn't want to dwell on for too long. Her hair fell in front of her face, a curtain that could almost keep her safe from Yang, and from what the story that they would be sharing was about to entail.

But this was Yang, and Yang knew about _everything_.

Finally, Blake allowed for herself to begin to explain.

"I spent a few nights with Weiss at a hotel in the city." Blake started, letting her gaze focus on the yellow eggs that were there on the plate in front of her. "She has been having a hard time with her family lately with her father in the hospital and all of that. The rest of her family hasn't made it much easier for her."

"So you're having sleepovers with your girlfriend out of charity?" Yang asked, a fair amount of skepticism creeping into her voice at the prospect. The mischievous raise of her eyebrow managed to punctuate the question.

"No." Blake breathed the word out. She felt her grip on the fork that she had in her hand begin to tighten, and her heart began to beat a little too hard and a little too fast in her chest as the anxiety began to rise in her. "Adam found me."

Those three words were all that had ever been needed for her to be able to completely change the atmosphere of the apartment in seconds. Yang froze dead in her tracks, still standing at the stove and with the wooden spatula still in her hand. There was a characteristic tensing to her shoulders, an anger that was welling up and preparing to break as soon as Blake said another word.

"What did he want?" Yang asked. "Because you know that I will-"

" _I know."_ Blake cut off Yang before she could continue saying what she was, because there was so much more that she needed to explain about Adam and how he had found her. "I don't know the exact details," Blake began. She poked at her eggs with her fork and glanced up at Yang's turned back. Her shoulders were stiff and angry. "But he made it sound like he harassed Ilia into getting her to tell him about what I've been up to. He found me when I went out to meet Weiss for coffee, and..."

"Does he know that you're shacking up with Weiss Schnee?" Yang asked. There was a quiet click, and when Blake looked up she watched as Yang poured the remaining skillet of scrambled eggs onto her own place. "Or is he just trying to make your life hell again, like he isn't already an expert at that?"

Blake paused, because that was something that she really didn't know an answer to. Not when she had been so immediately caught up with everything else that Adam's reappearance had introduced into her life.

"I don't know." Blake finally answered, deciding to set her fork down. "But he wanted me to come out with him on a job or something. There's a Schnee Fundraiser for the hospital coming up that he wants to… interfere with."

Yang nodded along as Blake talked, clearly taking her time to parse out everything that Blake said. Finally, she took a breath, turned with her plate in her hand, and crossed the room before taking a seat just across from Blake. "Does Weiss know about it?"

"She does." Blake replied, balling her hands into fists, because she had been so close to being able to leave this part of her past behind her. Weiss and her had talked things over, they had smoothed out some of the more difficult parts of their shared history.

Because of Adam, it felt like everything that Blake had worked so hard to get for herself was gone, and she didn't like that feeling at all.

Yang nodded and allowed for herself to relax as comfortable as she could. Blake watched her, keeping her eyes open and trying to figure out what she was supposed to do next now that the cat was out of the bag on what Adam wanted from her. At the very least, if she talked to Yang about everything, it could make both of their lives easier soon.

"So the creep wants to mess with the Schnees this time... because...?"

"He thinks their charity is corrupt. Just like how he thinks everything about them is corrupt." Blake explained sitting up properly. "And to be honest, I don't know that it isn't, but he wanted for me to help him. Break into the offices at their headquarters and find their books." She paused, staring back down at her hands against because it was entirely too likely that Adam had wanted something else besides her time.

It was Adam, after all. If he wanted something from her, he would take absolutely no hesitation to try and get it out of her. Blake had known him as a man once, but these days Adam was more like a monster than anything else.

"And you think that he found you through Ilia?" Yang asked, and that was the question that Blake really hadn't wanting to breach at all because of how much it would mean for her.

"I can't say either way for sure." Blake began, thinking back to that troubled day where Adam had gone after her in the hopes that she would go along with him. "He said that Ilia said hi, and I know that the two of them are still... I suppose you could call them friends, for better or for worse. I just don't know if she would have sold me out like that."

"Then how would he have been able to find you in person?" Yang asked, her frustrating rising rather obviously in the way that she talked and in the tone of her voice. "Because it sounds like we should start getting ready for you to move again or something."

"He saw my bike on the street." Blake responded, blinking. "I'm sure that's what happened. I just hope that he doesn't know about Weiss because..." Her voice trailed off and the anxiety that she had been feeling only grew to be much more intense, and the worries that she had about what was happening only grew louder.

"Do you think that he would do something to her?" Yang leaned in towards the table, placing her fingertips on the table in front of her.

"I don't know." Blake admitted as she gave up on her meal. She pushed her plate away from her and towards the middle of the table. "But I don't like the things that he could do to me through work if he knew." She leaned forward and brought her elbows up to rest on the table. Blake leaned into them, resting her head in her hands as she did her absolute best to control her breathing. "If he knew and he wanted to, he could just out the entire thing, and then-"

"I don't even want to think about how deep it would go." Yang sighed, poking at her food herself. "I mean, it would be your job-"

"And probably any chances of being able to report in the future would be gone." Blake charged forward in the explanation, because this was the first time that she was really letting herself think about all of the consequences that she was going to face. "So that's my income, if he outed what is going on with me and Weiss, he would cause a lot of problems for her, and honestly-" She let out a huff and leaned forward, tensing up entirely to much. "I can't imagine that Adam wouldn't love to do all of that. Just to see it happen."

Yang nodded, sighing and leaning forward in her seat. "Yeah." She muttered, sounding entirely too frustrated and definitely angry over everything. "You're probably right about that after everything." Blake nodded wordlessly and squeezed her eyes shut because she needed to come up with a plan or something, and she couldn't even begin to think of one.

She had absolutely no way of figuring out just how much Adam knew about what she was doing, and she had serious doubts that she was going to be given a chance to find any of that information out for herself.

"I told Weiss and her butler about it." Blake said, focusing on a single spot on the table as she tried to concentrate. "So there is something being done to help with the security there to my knowledge, but..." Her voice trailed off. "I haven't heard much of anything on how things are going on their end."

"So maybe you should call them?" Yang suggested, shoveling some of her food into her mouth. "Because if you do that-"

"I'm planning to." Blake said calmly, deciding to get up and at the very least figure out what she was going to do with the rest of her food that she hadn't bothered to finish eating. "I'm just afraid of what will happen when I make a call and find out what is going on."

Yang shrugged. "Do you think it'll be that bad?"

Blake thought back to that morning, and how well it had gone and how much there was still left that the two of them needed to discuss.

"I don't know." She said finally, sighing. "If I did, I would tell you but right now-"

She paused and glanced to the door to their apartment. "I just don't know."

Blake couldn't think of anything else she wanted to say.


	18. safety in numbers

**I fell a little bit behind so I posted two chapters this week, chapters 17 and 18. Make sure that you check them both out!**

 **Thank you for reading.**

* * *

It had been days since she and Blake had separated, and days since Weiss had been part of that discussion with her brother that was still yet to leave her mind. She was wrapped up in a thousand different emotions, and Weiss didn't have even the slightest idea as how to deal with any of them.

Mostly, she was hurt. Angry. Upset. Grieving.

That was part of the reason that she was seated in Coco's hotel room, sharing a bottle of wine with her friends and just venting about everything and everything that was bothering her in that moment. While she paced the room, Coco and Neptune lounged on the too-large bed.

"I just can't believe him!" Weiss said, keeping her glass balanced carefully between her fingers as she looked out the window onto the city outside. "To think that he would just drag things out like that… What purpose does that even serve?"

"Prolonging your misery." Coco droned out from her spot on the bed. Neptune grunted his agreement from beside her. He looked like he was probably about to take a nap, and Coco looked like she was bored herself. Interested, but bored. Either she was bored or plotting some sort of revenge, and Weiss didn't know which possibility was more likely. "I wish I was surprised though."

"See, that's the thing-" Weiss sipped her drink, turning slowly to face her friends in the process. "I don't know that I am surprised by it. I don't want to think that he would just do something like that but..." She shook her head, doing her best to ignore the absolute heaviness that overtook her. The sadness that had been clinging onto her for what felt like days. "It feels like something that he would do."

"Well, it probably is." Neptune mumbled, pushing himself upright. It took one look at him for Weiss to confirm to herself that he had almost assuredly been asleep. His hair was sticking up funny on one side, and his eyes were dark and tired. "I mean, you two have been pit against each other for how long?"

Weiss paused, because Neptune was absolutely correct in his assumption. She and her siblings had been pitted against each other since they'd been born, in one way or another. Winter had been able to find her way out, but for Weiss and Whitley it wasn't that simple.

But now she _was_ out. The company was going to go to her brother because-

And that was the problem. That was what had her so upset. "I just... wish that it wasn't decided based on who my father likes the most." Weiss sighed, staring down into the deep red of her drink. "Something that I have worked on for my entire life has been taken away and I didn't-"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steel herself. "I didn't even stand a chance, did I?"

There was the sound of someone shifting around on the bed. Weiss wanted to look back over and see who it was, but when she moved it didn't feel like it would matter, so Weiss stopped herself.

The feeling of a hand settling on her shoulder was a small comfort, though. Weiss glanced over and saw the perfectly manicured nails. Orange, with gold details. A slow, deep breath escaped her as she did her best to calm herself down before her drink was plucked out of her fingers.

"It's okay, snowflake." Coco said, her voice even and calm and always too cool. There was a quiet clinking sound beside her, and Weiss realized that it was the sound of Coco setting her own drink down. "You're allowed to be upset."

"I know-" Weiss started, feeling that terrible feeling welling up in her chest. "I just feel like I have wasted so much time trying to be the best so that I can lead SchneeCorp myself and it didn't even matter. Years of practice, and education, and training, and for what?" She closed her eyes, hopeful that it would be enough to stop the stinging in them. She felt like she was going to cry.

Coco nodded, and Weiss only knew because of the feeling of her friend's cheek brushing against her hair. The next thing she knew the two of them were moving backwards and she was being directed to sit on the mattress.

Neptune moved, sliding up so that he was sitting at Weiss' side while Coco settled on the other. He reached out for her, and pulled her into a hug that the three of them settled into together. They sat there in relative silence for a few minutes before Neptune spoke up.

"You know that no matter what you're still number one to us, right?" He said it in this way that was almost playful, and Weiss couldn't stop herself from laughing herself. "I know that it isn't much." Neptune began to pull away from her, bit by bit and Weiss felt comforted by it on some level. "But it's true."

Weiss nodded. She picked up a hand to wipe away some of the hot tears that were beginning to bead at the corners of her eyes. She felt terrible. Torn open and vulnerable in all of the worst ways. The only real good thing was that she had someone familiar that she could talk to about it all.

"Thank you." Weiss sighed after a long moment. "It really isn't much, but right now I feel like I have to take whatever I can get."

"Of course." Coco mumbled as she pulled away from Weiss the same way that Neptune had. She sat up straight and Weiss watched as she shifted around so that she could pull something out of her pocket. There was a quiet moment as Coco checked a message or something on her phone before she looked back up at Weiss. "Can I ask something though?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, because she really didn't know what Coco was about to ask her about. "What is it?"

"Were you planning to go to that fundraiser thing?" Coco asked, staring up at Weiss with a too-calm expression. "Because if you think that you are going to, then-" She paused, and Weiss almost wanted to shrink away due to the scrutiny from her friend. "Neptune and I should be able to get in, is all." Coco explained. "And if you think that you want the moral support-"

Weiss paused, because she hadn't thought about _who_ would be at the benefit at all, really. She could guarantee that Klein would be there, but she couldn't speak for anyone else. All that Weiss knew to expect were the social elite that were connected to her father in various ways.

"I think that I will have to consider it." Weiss finally said, taking her time to get the words out. She was sure that the way that she said it was at least somewhat off putting, but it was all something that she had needed to say. The benefit dinner was going to be an ordeal in itself, and Weiss didn't know that she would need any extra distractions.

Coco sighed and leaned back, bracing herself against the bed before allowing herself to relax at least some. "You know that all you have to do is ask."

Weiss nodded and glanced down at her lap, and where her hand was resting in it. For a moment, she felt too cold.

"I know." She murmured. It didn't bring any sort of comfort for her to say the words.

* * *

Blake had spent almost all of the time between her and Yang's conversation about how things were going to look moving forward looking for an angle. She had been placed in a position which she desperately wanted nothing to do with, and so if she was going to be a part of the forces trying to make things work, she needed to be willing to work herself.

She was used to looking for information and for truth. It at least seemed like a good place for her to start if she was going to get to the bottom of things.

She had taken to asking questions of everyone that came her way that had even the slightest chance at knowing something. First, she needed to know what Adam was planning, and that was _much_ more difficult when nobody that did know seemed to be willing to share.

After that, she needed to know what the Schnees were doing to protect themselves.

And then after that... Blake knew that she was going to have to be willing to talk to Weiss to find how she should work personally.

Blake was just afraid of how that would go if she asked.

She forced the topic from her mind though, as she pulled up into the space in front of Ilia's apartment building. She didn't know how much she was going to have to look forward to from her editor, or if she would get a clear answer on what was going on.

But Blake figured that dropping in on Ilia wouldn't hurt _too_ much.

She walked up to the buzzer and hit the button that would let Ilia know that she had company. There was a long silence while Blake waited by the door for anything could happen. Then there was Ilia's voice.

"Who is it?" The voice came through the speaker, craggy and rough as it usually was. Ilia sounded tired, and while Blake wanted to worry, she couldn't allow for herself to do so.

"It's Blake."

There was a long silence, then the buzz went off that let Blake know that she was allowed in. She didn't linger by the door for a second longer than she needed to before heading inside and starting on her way up to her editor's apartment.

When Blake arrived, the door was already open to Ilia's apartment, and there was the smell of tea wafting out from the apartment. Blake stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

Ilia turned to her, already at the kitchen and getting something together for the two of them to share. "Hey." Ilia greeted her, still dressed in her pajamas. "Why are you here?"

"I needed to talk to you." Blake said, sliding her hands down into her pockets as she stood by the door. While she doubted that she was about to be ran out, Blake didn't want to make herself too comfortable. "About something that happened the other day."

Ilia hesitated, and her brow furrowed. She was trying to figure out what Blake was talking about, that was obvious enough. "Is it something specific?"

Blake nodded, and she could have sworn that she had seen a flicker of guilt flash over Ilia's face. "Have you heard from Adam at all?" Blake asked, doing her best to keep her voice even.

"Did he find you?"

"He did." Blake confirmed, frowning and narrowing her eyes. "So have you heard from him?"

Ilia sighed. "I had to take over as his editor for something." She explained, turning to the cabinets behind her and reaching up to remove two mugs from it. "So yes, I've heard from him."

Blake nodded, and when Ilia gestured to one of the mugs, she smiled a little bit. She was willing to bet that Ilia had already been working on making tea when she had arrived, and so the invitation was quite welcome. Blake nodded and finally allowed herself to move, shrugging off her jacket and walking over to take a seat.

Within moments, Ilia was joining her with the two mugs in hand, both full. Ilia sank down into the seat across from Blake's and seemed to hesitate before asking "What is this all about?"

Blake frowned and looked down into her tea before finally making the decision to explain. "Adam found me a couple days ago when I was out for lunch." Blake started, and she wanted to bring out the specific details of what Adam had said, but decided against it. For now, it was better for her to start by finding out how Ilia felt about the situation. "He was... asking me about coming and helping him with something that he was working on."

Ilia blinked, drumming her fingers against the polished ceramic sides of her mug. "Was it about his little... infiltration mission idea?" Her eyebrows rose as she said the words, apprehension dripping from every syllable.

It set off alarms in Blake's mind that she didn't dare allow herself to ignore or forget. "It was." Blake replied, taking the first sip from her tea. It had been made just right- like Ilia had never forgotten how she enjoys her drink. "I just... don't like that he was able to find me. But I guess that you knew about the whole thing, didn't you?"

"I didn't know that he would go looking for you." Ilia said calmly, with an annoyed sigh. "He told me about the idea when it came up. I didn't bother to ask him too much about it because it had seemed like he was just looking for a second opinion on what he wanted to do."

"And that's it?" Blake asked, feeling like she was ready to snap at Ilia even though there was no real reason for her to go ahead to. As it appeared, Ilia wasn't exactly lying to her about what she did know about what Adam wanted. The only thing was that Blake needed every scrap of information that she could possibly get out of her editor.

"It is." Ilia sighed as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and bracing herself against it. She held her mug up by her face the steam slowly wafting up towards her. "He asked me if I knew what you were working on, but that was the only other thing."

Ilia's eyes widened, like she had just realized that she might have said too much. Blake felt like she had just smelled blood.

"What did you tell him?" Blake asked, her voice dropping in tone so that it was deathly serious. She found herself standing up, placing her hands on the table at her side and leaning over it like she was making an attempt to intimidate because if Blake was going to be able to get clear answers out of this conversation, she needed to be able to do such a thing.

"I didn't tell him anything." Ilia responded, and she stared up at Blake with narrowed eyes. "Just that you were working alone."

Blake frowned, because it offered absolutely nothing to comfort her for even a moment. A part of her wanted to turn, grab her jacket, and leave. Even if Ilia didn't have much of anything to do with Adam's choice to hunt her down, Blake didn't know that she was going to be able to relax for a while. Not when she couldn't trust that she would be able to go out and do normal things without him tracking her down and making her life a living hell.

"I can't have him bothering me." Blake said as she allowed herself to stand back up, bringing her hands away from the table. The temptation was still there, to take her things and go, but if Blake was there then she figured that she might as well try and make it into a business stay. "You know that. Once he gets room, he'll-" Blake shook her head. Shook the thought from her mind.

"I do." Ilia replied, seeming to relax once she saw that Blake was taking the seat across from her again. "I didn't tell him anything other than that. I promise." Ilia went quiet, her gaze flickering away from where Blake was standing. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, that she let out entirely too slow. "I know what he did to you. I don't want you to have to deal with that again."

Blake hesitated, because while she definitely wanted for that to be true, she didn't know that she really trusted Ilia about it all. "I just... need to be able to feel like I'm safe and like I can go ahead and live my life without-" Her voice trailed off. "I don't want to have to move again. Or leave. I don't want to lose my job because of his grudge."

Ilia nodded, her eyes flicking back up to meet Blake's eyes. "I understand." She said calmly. "Did you... only want to talk about that?" Ilia asked, sounding a lot like she was grasping at straws in the hopes that she would be able to turn the conversation into something that would be productive. "Or was there something else?"

It was a welcome enough segue, Blake thought. She leaned back in her seat and reached out for her mug and shrugged. "I supposed that we could talk about work." Blake started, sighing. "But right now I don't have all that much that I can give you."

"So you're still working with people that need for everything to be kept anonymous?" Ilia asked, and she got up from the table. Blake watched as she crossed the room and picked up a notebook and a pen. Ilia scribbled on the notepad, clearly checking that the pen would work before she began on her way back over towards the table. "Because you know that you are going to need to be able to give me... something, right?"

Blake sighed. "I do." She answered, letting her head hang. Her hair fell into her face, but it didn't do much of anything besides placing a curtain between herself and Ilia. "And I am doing my best to be able to get something. The only problem is that as things are I have to be a lot more careful with my work then I would have to be otherwise."

Ilia nodded and scribbled down a note of her own. "Are you going to try and go to that SchneeCorp thing and get something done there?"

And in all honesty, that was a _very_ good question, Blake thought. If she were to go ahead and try to get into the benefit, it would definitely help her to get a story. Weiss was even able to get her an in that she wouldn't have had otherwise. The opportunity was definitely there, but-

It was risky. That was the biggest problem that Blake could find with the possibility. If she were to theoretically go ahead and try to go to the benefit, it would be likely to place herself or Weiss under scrutiny that neither of them needed.

Not to mention that there was the guarantee that Adam was going to be there, without even a single chance that he wasn't going to bother her if he found out that she was there.

A part of Blake wanted to go. She could take the possibility, go into it as a matter of work, and hope that nothing went wrong. If things went well, or she managed to make the right friends or get Weiss on her side enough, Blake would even be able to ensure that she would have a story to send to Ilia.

She leaned back in her seat a little more, doing her best to hide her frustration. "I haven't decided." Blake finally offered, even though that was a topic that she was going to need quite a bit of time to be able to think over before she could actually make a choice on it.

Ilia shrugged, looking down at her drink. "I can't say that I was expecting you to." She said calmly, shrugging. "Either way, once you make up your mind-" Ilia stopped herself and leaned forward, reaching out across the table and offering her hand to Blake. "Tell me that you have."

Blake tried to ignore the churning in her stomach over the request, and the reach for physical contact. She decided to keep her hands to herself and nodded. "Of course." She murmured. "I'll let you know."

Blake smiled across at Ilia, and it had never managed to feel more fake.


	19. say something

Blake waited on her motorcycle, hidden away a clean two blocks away from the Schnee Manor on Weiss' request.

As of then, Blake still didn't actually know _why_ she'd been asked to pick Weiss up as soon as possible in the morning, but she went anyways. Because she cared about Weiss.

She'd gotten the text early in the morning- before the sun had even come up. Weiss had sounded a little bit less than sober and probably closer to angry than Blake had heard her be in a while. Blake hadn't wanted a fight, and while she had definitely _wanted_ to know what was going on, she knew that it could have waited. At least until it wasn't four in the morning.

And for that reason, Blake was there two blocks from Schnee Manor, parked on the side of the road at seven in the morning just waiting. Weiss would be there soon.

Blake kept her eyes glued to the space by the end of the road, and eventually she saw the sight of brilliant white and she knew that it was Weiss. Blake didn't move to go after her, and just let Weiss come to her instead.

It wasn't long before Weiss was climbing onto the back of Blake's bike with a simple hello and the two of them were on their way. Blake drove as fast as she could until the two of them were stopped at a park that was mostly silent. Like Weiss had asked.

"Thanks." Weiss said, climbing off of the back of bike while Blake did the same. Blake just watched as Weiss pulled off her helmet and relaxed a little bit, letting her head hang low. "I felt like I needed to talk to you about some things."

"So did I." Blake replied, removing her helmet and resting it on the seat of the bike. She glanced over towards a bench, and Weiss understood the question without her even needing to go ahead and ask it. Together the two of them walked there until they were both seated. Blake stared out across the park, glad to find that they were definitely alone for the moment.

One of them were going to need to be the first one to speak up. But for now, Blake was willing to give Weiss the opportunity to take the lead. It seemed like she needed the chance to vent anyhow.

"My brother is getting the company." Weiss stated it with a certain coldness that Blake hadn't really been expecting. Almost like in the days that they had been apart, Weiss had done everything in her power to divorce herself from the emotional side of it all. It at least explained some of the silence. "Regardless of whether father wakes up or not."

It was a revelation that Blake hadn't come expecting to hear. When Weiss had asked her to come to meet, not so much as a word had been brought up with regards to this potentially being a work matter. Now that Blake was there, she couldn't help but wonder what Weiss really wanted her to be there.

It wasn't feeling that much like a personal call anymore, that much was clear.

"I'm sorry." Blake sighed, staring down at the ground and her feet where they rested on the damp gravel below. "Should I assume that this is off the record?" She paused, already reconsidering whether or not this was the best way to approach the record. "Or..."

Weiss' expression softened, her eyes focused on something that Blake couldn't quite identify. She looked sad, that was the most prominent thought that flit through Blake's mind. Weiss looked utterly heartbroken, and she was very obviously doing her best to act like that wasn't the case.

"I haven't decided yet." Weiss finally said, wrapping her arms around herself. "This is all... still new. And secret."

"Just let me know." Blake replied, letting her hand rest in the space between the two of them as they relaxed back there. "I don't want to say or do anything that I'm not supposed to, you know that."

"I do." Weiss replied, cold seeping into her voice entirely too easily. "The thing is that right now I can't figure out if I want you to keep this all a secret. That I've been talking to you, I mean."

Blake nodded and leaned back into the seat that the two of them were sharing. "Is there something particular bringing this on?"

Weiss nodded, hugging herself still. She picked her head up, staring with narrowed eyes across the park and between two trees. Blake followed her gaze, watching as a car or two passed by in the distance and she found herself glad that it was just her and Weiss. There was something about the two of them being there alone that made it all feel worthwhile.

"Am I allowed to ask?"

"Whitley." Weiss started, pausing to glance back over at Blake for just a second. "My brother. Though I suspect that you would know that."

"I do." Blake replied, watching Weiss so carefully that she couldn't help but feel like she was placing the heiress, no, _former_ heiress under the microscope. "So what is it about him?"

"He knew that I wasn't going to be a part of the company. And he has apparently known it for some time if the things that he said were any indicator." Weiss began to explain, knotting her fingers together in her lap and letting herself relax. "He and I got to talking, and once we got to talking it was clear enough what I was dealing with. I am not in the line of succession for SchneeCorp, and the only way that I would be is going to be through an inheritance should something happen to my brother. If even that."

"Does your sister know about this?" Blake asked, because it was truly the most fitting question that she could think of. One that would actually have the potential to get her more information. "Or..."

"Not yet."

Weiss still stared down at her hands, anger flickering across her face and refusing to leave. Blake couldn't help but wonder whether or not contacting Winter was even something that was possible.

"I don't know how to tell her." Weiss added, her grip tightening and her skin reddening with it.

Blake shook her head, realizing that she needed to do more than she already was. She allowed herself to scoot in closer to Weiss, wrapping an arm around the heiress' shoulders and pulling her in closer. To Blake's surprise, Weiss let out a choked sort of noise and turned slowly to press her face into her shoulder.

"I just hate this." Weiss muttered into her, and Blake decided to sit by quietly. She stroked her fingers through Weiss' hair and just hoped that she would be able to get Weiss to relax, at least slightly. "Everything-" Weiss started and growled before letting herself continue on. "Everything that I've worked for is just _gone_ and I hate it."

"You're allowed to be upset about this." Blake said, focusing her gaze on the space between the trees across the park. She let one hand travel down Weiss' back and then back up again in an attempt to soothe. "I think that anyone would feel this way. Your last name doesn't change that."

Weiss nodded, pressing still even closer in to Blake. The two of them sat there in relative silence, neither of them wanting to say anything to the other. Blake mostly didn't know what she could say to make it any better. She just wanted for Weiss to know that she was still going to be there to.

Nearly a half hour into the quiet, Weiss spoke up, her voice easing in out of seemingly nowhere and all too broken and meager. "I want to say something." Weiss all but whispered the words into the open space between them, and Blake blinked.

"So say something."

Weiss pulled away for the first time, and she turned before reaching out and cupping Blake's cheek so that the two of them were staring at each other. So that the two of them were standing there with their eyes locked. For the first time, Blake recognized a sort of intensity in Weiss that she hadn't seen before.

When she seemed confident that the two of them were both at an understanding, Weiss spoke again.

"I. Want. To. _Say_. Something." Weiss repeated the words, this time taking the chance to stop between each one in search of recognition in Blake. All at once, Blake understands.

"You want to say something?" Blake asked, already slipping a hand down into her jacket so that she could remove her notebook from her pocket. "Then say it."

Weiss looked down into the space between them where Blake was setting her notebook down on her leg and smiled. Blake began to go through the same routine that she always did when it came to her job.

Date. Time. Location. All at the top of the page before she added in a note two lines down from it.

On the record.

Weiss smiled at her and nodded before relaxing slightly and leaning back into the bench, seemingly doing her best to make herself comfortable. "I think that if the two of us are going to have an interview, we should start by setting parameters and expectations for what we should discuss."

Blake blinked and cocked her head to the side just slightly. "I thought that you said that you wanted to talk?"

Weiss nodded and looked back down at her hands again. "I did." She said, sighing the words out. "But now that I do I suddenly don't feel like I know what I want to say. Or like I have even considered what will go wrong."

And that, that was something that Blake could understand. She had seen more than enough on her own that could tell her where they should start. But she also had heard enough from Weiss that she could reasonably know what to expect when things came to a head.

She didn't want for Weiss to be forced out of her family's home, or disowned entirely. But if that was what Weiss was going to have to worry about further down the line, then Blake was willing to step in if she needed to.

Someone was going to need to be there for Weiss, after all. In all likelihood, Weiss would go back to Vale once this was all over with and they all knew what they were doing.

After that, Blake had absolutely no idea what Weiss was going to end up doing.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation ahead and decided to do her job.

"Tell me about what it means to be a Schnee."

And just like that, the conversation began and Blake made it her sole purpose to jot down every word, every detail that left Weiss' mouth because in the end, she needed to be able to tell the story and do it _right_.

Weiss deserved that much.

* * *

"You brought a guest?" Yang said the words excitedly, all but bouncing as she dragged Blake and Weiss over to the couch in Blake's apartment. "You know, I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be the last I saw of you Weiss."

Weiss blinked, feeling very much unsure of herself and letting herself sink down onto the couch beside Blake. When Blake had invited her home for the night, Weiss hadn't taken the invitation without thinking about it too much. She didn't want to go home for the night, even if she was going to miss Klein, and Blake-

Well, Blake was far from the worst person that she could end up sharing a bed with. That was something that Weiss was very confident in now. The hotel had been proof enough of that.

However, after the day that she'd had being jumped at by an excited Yang had not been on her list of things for them to do. Yet there she was.

In the end, she felt a lot like the only choice she had was to grin and bear it and that was something that Weiss wasn't entirely comfortable with going through on. She looked away from Yang, feeling a stab of guilt down in her core that Weiss had to do her best to ignore. "It's nice to see you too, Yang."

Yang grinned widely and made herself comfortable on the couch as well before deciding to keep on talking. "Ruby was going to try and stop by later," She began, leaning forward and casting a glance across at Blake. "I figured that we were going to get pizza later. I dunno if you two would want to join us?"

Weiss watched Blake, looking for any sort of cue that could make answering the question any easier. Instead of saying anything, Blake just looked back at her though, and Weiss realized then that the choice was being placed rather securely in her hands.

And in truth.. She couldn't _remember_ the last time that she'd just sat down for pizza with friends. Even then, to go ahead and order a pizza wasn't exactly something that Weiss would have done normally. She wished that she could understand why the request left her feeling almost like she was drowning.

"Pizza sounds nice." Weiss said, nodding and looking back at Yang, doing her best to play off any discomfort. "If that's what you think you want to do."

"Awesome." Yang mumbled, leaning back in the spot where she was sitting and letting her head rest on the back of the couch. "So. What brings you two here anyways? I thought you'd be off at a hotel room somewhere."

"We didn't want to bother paying for one." Weiss offered, and from the other side of the couch she was able to see Blake visibly relax. "And since the mansion is out of the question, this was the best place that we could go to."

There was a moment of quiet, where Yang just began to pout a little bit. "You mean that you didn't come here to see me?" She asked, still frowning. "What am I supposed to think when I never see you."

"Nothing." Blake deadpanned, sounding like she was _very_ far from amused by Yang's reaction. "Weiss is correct. We wanted a night away from hotels, so we came here. I'm going to have some work to do, but if you want to put on a movie with Ruby and watch it, I can work while still being here."

Just like that, Yang relaxed again, the frown disappearing. "Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe I'll get your girlfriend to like me more-"

"Somehow I doubt that." Blake responded, but Weiss saw the smile that was stretching across her face. "Right, Weiss?"

"Right." Weiss replied, setting her hands down into her lap and deciding to try and take up as little space as she could possibly manage for the time being. Knowing that it was going to be a calm night was nice enough. However, she couldn't help the blush that had risen on her cheeks over Yang's teasing. "I'm sure that the night will be lovely."

Yang grinned. "Yeah, we're going to have fun. Ruby said that she would be over in an hour or two, so you should probably get to work, Blake. I can keep Weiss entertained while you're busy." And just like that, Weiss watched the way that Yang stretched an arm over the back of the couch. "I think that she and I have a lot to talk about."

"We... do?" Weiss asked, feeling a bit surprised by the comment. "I wasn't aware."

"Oh, yeah." Yang replied. "Tons."

Weiss cast a nervous glance over her shoulder at Blake, just doing her best to look for an out and only got a shrug in response. A moment after that, Blake was slipping off to get her work things and Weiss found herself sitting alone with Yang and without a single idea as to how she was supposed to breach conversation with the blonde.

However, if there was anything that Weiss could truly say about Yang it was that the woman seemed to have a sense for when things were awkward.

That couldn't have been better evidenced by the way that Yang just charged into the conversation.

"So," Yang started, sly grin stretching across her face. "What are your intentions with my roommate anyways?"

Weiss felt the blush rise on her cheeks immediately over the question because the subtext was not only there but it was also very hard for her to miss. She looked down at her hands and took a breath before letting herself speak, a little afraid to find out what the reaction might look like when she answered.

"I suppose you could say that my intentions aren't entirely abnormal." Weiss answered Yang, doing her absolute best to ignore the way that thoughts of the night in the hotel that she and Blake had spent together. There was a lot that the two of them had done, and Weiss...

She didn't want to have to talk to Yang about it at all, that was for sure.

"Right." Yang replied, her grin widening as she relaxed back into the couch. Weiss found herself feeling more and more aware of Blake's absence with the amount of time that they spent sitting there. "So you like her then?"

"I do." Weiss mumbled, still too aware of the fact that she was blushing. "A lot."

"Yeah, me too." Yang responded, her violet eyes drifting towards the door to Blake's bedroom and resting there for a moment too long. There was a softness there that Weiss hadn't been prepared for, and for just a moment she couldn't help but wonder what was going through Yang's mind. "She is pretty great."

Weiss looked from Yang to the door, and then back to Yang, looking for the words that she needed the entire time and only finding herself unable to find them.

"How long have you and her known each other?" Weiss asked, because... somehow that felt like the single best question that she could have asked. At the very least, it was going to be a chance for her to learn something about Blake and that wasn't an unwelcome possibility by any means. "It seems like you're close."

Yang shrugged. "She and I met a couple of years back. She needed a place to stay, I needed a roommate. We ended up staying together and never stopped." She paused, and Weiss watched Yang's eyes widen for just a second like she had realized that there was more to the question that Weiss had decided she wanted to ask. "We're just friends. Always have been. She's kind of like a sister to me and Ruby at this point."

"Ah." Weiss replied, sitting up straight and tearing her eyes away from Yang. "I hope that you don't mind me staying the night here." She said, blinking and feeling a wave of something uncomfortable overtaking her as she sat there with Yang. "I just needed a chance to... get away from home."

"As long as it doesn't get weird, I don't mind." Yang said with the same relaxed manner that she seemed to use when she talked about everything else. "And for the record, you are way better than some of the people Blake has brought home in the past. Just keep in mind-" Yang's tone began to change, and Weiss blushed because there was something in it was was wrong.

"Um-"

"Look, Weiss." Yang charged forward in the conversation. "I care about Blake a lot. If I find out that you have screwed her over for any reason, I won't be forgetting it."

"I understand." Weiss responded quickly, because the threat was there, barely veiled. She hadn't come into this looking for any sort of problems between the two of them. "And I don't have any intentions of hurting Blake." Weiss decided to say. "She has been helping me a lot personally. And I like her a lot. More than you know."

"Just... don't hurt her." Yang sighed, pushing herself up to her feet. "She's my best friend. And she has been through hell already. She doesn't need to go through that again."

"I understand." Weiss replied, sighing. "Really. I don't want to hurt her."

"Yeah," Yang murmured. "I figured. But I figured I should give you the talk anyways about this stuff. It's nothing personal."

Weiss nodded, still feeling more than just a little unsure of herself with everything that was going on. "I understand." She said, letting her eyes drift over towards Yang for just a moment. "I just wish that you didn't feel like you had to."

Yang went silent for a moment, staring at Weiss and she just smiled slightly, nodded, and relaxed. "You're not so bad."

"Thank you." Weiss sighed.

Behind them, there was the sound of a door opening, and then moments later Blake was settling onto the couch beside the two of them with her laptop in her lap, a pad of notes at her side, and a pair of headphones sitting around her neck.

"Is everything fine here?" Blake asked, making herself comfortable.

"Yeah, we're cool." Yang said, grinning wide. "Don't worry about us too much."

"Right." Blake said, and Weiss couldn't help but notice that there was a more than healthy dose of skepticism to her voice. She tried her best to ignore it, because no matter what Weiss was sure that Blake had overheard what the two of them were talking about. "If you're sure."

"We are." Weiss said, relaxing a little bit. "Promise."

Blake nodded and smiled before putting her headphones on and putting herself to work. An hour later, Ruby arrived and then the pizza was there, and Weiss relaxed beside Blake, letting the movie that had been picked out just play.

It felt like one of the single most relaxing nights of Weiss' entire life, and she savored every second of it.


	20. a deal with the devil

The thing that woke Weiss up was slight jostling feeling of Blake sliding into the space beside her without so much as a word. It was enough to make her pick her head up and crack her eyes open to stare at Blake bleary-eyed and exhausted. "Blake?" Weiss asked as she looked back at Blake over her shoulder. SHe didn't want to move, but let herself shift onto her other side so she could look at Blake directly. "What time is it?"

"It's-" Blake started and Weiss watched as she turned her head and picked up her phone, the blue glow of light shining on Blake's face for a moment. "...Early. Go back to sleep. We can talk later."

"Right." Weiss mumbled, settling back down onto the bed and pulling the blankets further up on her body. It was comforting, and Weiss didn't want to lose the feeling for so much as a second. Blake's bed was surprisingly comfortable.

She felt Blake press in close behind her, an arm wrapping around her waist which Weiss leaned into happily. She let her eyes slip back shut, then Blake was pressing a kiss to Weiss' temple.

Moments later, Weiss was back to sleep.

She woke up again hours later to the sun shining through the windows of Blake's bedroom. Weiss picked her head up and saw that Blake was there in the bed still beside her, sleeping comfortably. Weiss sighed and moved, doing her best to extract herself from Blake's arms before slipping out of the bedroom and heading off to the bathroom. She grabbed her phone on the way out, just in case.

Weiss did her business, and when she finished she made herself comfortable on the couch since she didn't want to wake Blake up. She stared down at her phone for a moment, her grip a little too tight on it before she finally went ahead and dialed a number.

She held it to her ear and listened.

"Miss Schnee?" Klein asked, voice coming in from the other side. He'd surely already been up for some time and Weiss felt like she really needed to be able to talk to him about some of the things that were going on. If had been a while since she had seen him last, with her avoiding the mansion and all. "Is everything alright? Where have you been?"

"I've been with Blake." Weiss said, making sure to keep her voice down, even as she checked whether or not there was any sign of Blake moving in her bedroom. "I know that I should have let you know where I was before I left."

"I trust you, Weiss." Klein responded, and Weiss heard the sound of him moving something. It sounded like two pieces of metal clanging together, like he was in the process of putting away pots or pans of some sort. "But I can't say that I'm not glad that you've decided to call."

"Thank you." Weiss sighed, blinking and letting herself relax a little bit more. She was cold, but that was the least of her concerns for the morning. "I wanted to talk to you about... some of the things that are happening."

Klein let out a quiet laugh on the other side of the line, and Weiss couldn't help the smile that stretched across her own face as a response. "Am I correct to guess that this will have to do with the fundraiser your brother's working on, Miss Schnee?"

"Among other things." Weiss replied, blinking and leaning forward, letting her free hand sit in her lap. "It's going to be in three nights, right?"

"It is." Klein responded, his voice sounding like he was just operating strictly with matter of fact information. "I expect that you will be there?"

"As of right now, I'm planning on it. After all it would look bad if I didn't." Weiss thought back to the mansion, to her family, to her father in a hospital room. She was going to need to be able to go to the fundraiser, blend in, and play along like there was nothing wrong with her family. Her brother would soak up the spotlight, and while she knew that she was going to have to do something herself there, Weiss didn't know _exactly_ what her night was going to look like. "Has there been any news about a perceived threat?"

"There has only been what yourself and Miss Belladonna know." Klein said, his voice dropping in volume significantly. The sound of water and metal was gone, and Weiss had the feeling that Klein had stepped away to somewhere private so that the two of them could talk more. Weiss wondered for a moment whether or not she should be having this sort of conversation in Blake and Yang's living room, but then decided that she had nothing to be afraid of there.

If anyone was going to overhear her, it was going to be either Blake, who would want to know this information for herself, or it was going to be Yang, who Weiss expected would leave the situation all but completely unconcerned. She seemed like she was trustworthy at the very least.

"And you promise that you will keep us up to date?" Weiss asked. "I don't know if it would be possible for us to get any more than what we do without... putting people in a situation that nobody wants to be in." She feels a stab of guilt for even thinking to suggest it. Blake wouldn't go towards Adam for the sake of information if it was going to risk her getting hurt again, that was something that Weiss felt fairly secure in thinking.

It didn't stop her stomach from flipping at the thought.

If she did, then Weiss didn't expect that Blake would be able to get out of the situation cleanly. Adam seemed like he would just ask questions, if what Blake had told Weiss was true.

"If anything arises, I will be sure to call." Klein responded, his voice still hushed. "Although I suppose that it would be beneficial for me to let you know that your brother and mother have no idea about the problem. I had a feeling that it was best treated as a discrete matter."

Weiss smiled softly. "Thank you." She whispered. "I know that if either of them knew, it would be trouble. My mother is less of a problem, but Whitley-"

"Whitley will be extraordinarily busy the night of the benefit and you know it." Klein said calmly. "I suspect that you might even be able to survive the night without even having to speak to him."

"I'm certainly hoping for as much." Weiss said, still smiling. Her expression sank though, as her mind wandered to the other topic that she and Klein were going to need to talk about that night. "But... there is something that I need to tell you about... everything."

Klein seemed to hesitate, his voice followed by a quiet sigh. "I suppose that you are going to start by telling me where you have been?"

"I spent the night at... Blake's." Weiss couldn't help but wince a little bit over the revelation. A part of her was already expecting that she would end up being teased for it. But if that was the case, then Klein was definitely holding back on her.

Weiss appreciated it.

So she decided to allow herself to move forward in her explanation.

"I spent part of last night doing an interview with her." Weiss said, letting her volume drop for fear of being overheard, though she wasn't worried about what would happen on her end. "And I... decided that I wanted for her to be able to publish what I said. With my named attached."

Klein was silent, presumably struck by what Weiss had just said. After all, he knew the value of their anonymity more than most people did, and he wouldn't want to see it compromised. Which meant that there was probably a part of Klein that was absolutely fuming over Weiss' decision.

But Weiss was going to stand by her words. That was something that she had already decided. She was at a point where she felt like she didn't have anything to lose.

"I see." Klein replied, his voice stilted and stiff. "I may not agree that this is a good course of action, but-" He sighed. "Are you sure that this is what you want to do, Weiss?"

"I am."

The silence that bloomed between the two of them seemed to stretch on forever, and Weiss couldn't help but to fidget with her hands in her lap. "If you want, I could try and have Blake send along what she has written." The offer wasn't much, but Weiss was going to try it anyhow because it might have been her best chance at making sure that she and Klein stayed on even ground.

"That's quite all right." Klein replied, sounding a little bit unsure of himself. "I trust yourself and Miss Belladonna's judgement. Thank you for calling along to let me know what was happening."

"I figured that you would have to deal with the worst of it." Weiss replied, unable to stop herself from shrugging. "So it was the least I could do."

"Of course." Klein murmured. "Now, if I may, I believe that I will have to make myself available quite soon. Should something change, I will call."

"Right." Weiss whispered. "I'll do the same if something comes up." She paused, letting her eyes close. She let out a soft breath and felt her grip on her phone tighten, just a little bit. "I love you Klein."

"I love you too, Weiss. Do take care."

WIth those words, Klein hanged up the phone, and Weiss was left feeling alone and unsure of herself. She let herself sit there on the couch for a little while longer before there was a noise.

Poking out from Yang's door was Ruby, who had decided to stay the night just the same as Weiss had. Weiss hadn't been surprised at all to find out that Yang had a futon in her room.

"Hey." Ruby said, her voice quiet. "Is… everything okay?"

Weiss nodded and allowed herself to scoot over on the couch and make more room. Without much ceremony, Ruby dropped down into the space beside her. Weiss let herself glance over at the girl out of the corner of her eye before allowing herself to speak.

"It's fine." Weiss said, keeping her voice down. If Ruby was up, then Weiss was willing to bet that either Yang or Blake were also up. "I'm sorry if I woke you-"

"What?" Ruby asked, waving the concern away almost physically. "Nah." She swung her legs a little bit. "I just get up early most of the time. I like it, you know?"

"I suppose." Weiss sighed, looking back down at her hands in her lap. Her phone was resting there as well, thankfully dormant. "So... was there something that you needed?"

"Nope." Ruby replied, a soft smile on her face. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay. Who were you on the phone with? It sounded pretty serious."

"My..." Weiss faltered. Because she absolutely could have gone ahead and told the truth about Klein being her family's butler, but if she did then Weiss didn't know how that would go. She didn't have a single doubt that the others in that apartment had never had such a thing in their lives. She glanced away. "A friend of mine."

"So not a friend?" Ruby asked, cocking her head to the side and sitting there with her eyes wide. She looked as though she was actually confused by the situation, and Weiss couldn't really imagine that. "Or..."

"You promise that you won't judge me if I tell you?" Weiss asked, hardening her voice because she needed to know that Ruby would listen.

"Of course not." Ruby replied, blinking and raising an eyebrow a little. "Are you going to tell me?"

Weiss just sighed before plunging into the deep end and beginning to tell the story. "I was speaking to my family's butler." She began, making sure to double check for any change on Ruby's expression before allowing herself to charge forward. "It isn't what it sounds like."

Ruby looked a little bit surprised by the revelation, however. She looked down at her own feet, which were still swinging just slightly as she sat there. Like she was doing her best to figure out what she wanted to say to Weiss, and Weiss appreciated it. For just a little while, she felt like the wealth that she had been raised around didn't matter that much to the people that she was around.

It was nice.

"Why were you talking to your family butler?"

"Because..." Weiss wanted to start and tell the complete story. Explain that there was a problem in her life that she wasn't going to be able to get rid of easily at all. Instead, she went for another angle. One which was in many ways more truthful than the alternative. "Klein more or less raised me and my siblings." She explained. "My parents were too busy, so it was up to him to do the job for him. I needed to talk to someone, and he's always been there."

Ruby nodded, and she smiled softly. "Well, if you're going to be around…" She started, looking away from Weiss for a moment, though Weiss couldn't help but think that it was a calculated move. Like Ruby was hoping to give her a little bit more room for them both. "You know that we'll be here for you too."

Weiss took a breath, unsure of what to think because the offer felt… forward in ways that she hadn't been prepared for. There hadn't been anything about whether or not she actually belonged there. All that Weiss knew was that she had a definite in with Blake, and the night before talking to Yang had been fine, the problem was just...

Weiss wasn't sure.

She took a deep breath. "Thank you." She sighed, allowing herself to relax a little bit for the first time that morning. "For everything."

Ruby shrugged. "It's really nothing."

Weiss smiled, and when Blake and Yang got up the four of them shared a breakfast of leftover pizza, and she'd never been happier.

* * *

Almost as soon as she'd finished her story, Blake had almost immediately slipped onto her bike that evening. It meant that Weiss was going to be left alone at the apartment with Yang for a while, but that was fine. For the time being, she needed to be able to go out and get some things done for herself.

She didn't like a single thing about what she was planning to do that day, but Blake also knew she needed to do them.

In the end she'd ended up driving across the city of Atlas, and she placed herself in a coffee shop where she had originally planned to meet Ilia to pass on the story in person. But there was something about the plans in particular that felt dangerous, because while Blake's endgame was getting her work into her editor's hands, there was something else going on.

Mostly, she was going to the same shop where Adam had tracked her down before. She didn't know whether or not she was going to end up having an encounter with Adam again or not, but when she found out, Blake was willing to work with things as they came.

A part of her was actually considering on _going_ on that job with Adam. She'd overheard Weiss' conversation that morning when she'd been talking on the phone with Klein, and Blake saw potential.

Even if going and working with Adam on something was going to be dangerous and horribly risky, it had the potential to make things easier on them moving forward. She needed to know what was going to happen at the Schnee Benefit, and whatever it was that Adam was trying to plan.

For Weiss' sake, she needed to know. And through Adam, she potentially had an in.

Although, with the article already written that was going to give a great deal away about the inner workings of the Schnee Family and Weiss willing to give her name with it, Blake wasn't sure that there was really much to be won if she intervened. Weiss didn't seem particularly fond of her brother or her father, but her family's name was still at stake to some degree.

That made it worth it, Blake thought as she sipped her tea, keeping her eyes glued onto the door to the cafe.

Soon either Ilia was going to come in, or someone else was. If it was Ilia, she would do business as normal. If it was Adam, Blake was prepared to do what she needed to ensure her own access to information.

If things came together with her working with Adam, then Blake was prepared to hide what was going on from Weiss for the good of everyone involved. Weiss didn't need to know that Blake was going to go with Adam.

Nobody needed to know that she was going to do these things with Adam if the possibility arrived for her to use to her advantage.

The door opened, and Blake watched as a stranger came in, followed closely by Ilia who surprisingly had Adam in tow. It was something that left Blake with a lot of questions in her mind and not even the slightest idea as to how she was supposed to ask them. Even if she found out, she didn't know that it was going to be possible to do so without placing herself into some sort of danger.

Blake placed her hand on top of the manila envelope that was sitting on the table beside her, thinking of the information inside. She needed to have a way to ensure that it stayed sealed until Ilia was alone to read it herself. Just another way to protect Weiss was necessary.

"Hey, Blake." Ilia greeted her before sinking down into the seat beside Blake. Adam hanged back, and Blake just sighed and looked to Ilia.

"Can we speak alone first?" She asked, hoping that Ilia would humor the request.

Ilia seemed to hesitate but she nodded. Blake watched as she turned to face Adam and overheard the mumbling that the two of them were exchanging. Adam nodded and slipped away for the time being, and Blake was thankful for it. She could take the time with Ilia to steel herself and breathe before she made what was probably going to be a huge mistake.

Once Adam was outside of the shop, Blake took in a deep breath and locked her eyes with Ilia before beginning to explain. She slid the folder over towards her editor.

"My story." Blake said, as though that was the only explanation that she was going to need moving forward that day. "I need your word that this will stay closed until after the Schnee Fundraiser that Adam is planning to raid."

Ilia's eyebrows shot up her forehead and towards her hairline, her clearly unsure of what she was supposed to say to it. Blake wasn't all that surprised by it, since the request was quite a bit unlike anything that she'd done with Ilia in the past.

But a moment later, Ilia was schooling her expression and sliding the folder down into her bag. "You have my word." She said, relaxing and watching Blake from her side of the table. "But I would like to know _why_ , if that's possible."

Blake hesitated, because she hadn't had any indication from Weiss that she wanted the story to be held back instead. "The information in it could be called... sensitive." Blake sighed, deciding that if she was going to explain this it was going to be as gently as possible. "I need to know that it will be held until the appropriate time for my source's sake."

"So you're asking me to-"

"I just want you to do the edits and get it back to me." Blake explained calmly. "This is the only copy that's been printed, and it can't be seen by anyone else."

"So that's why you wanted Adam gone?"

"It is." Blake confirmed, sitting up, straight-backed but still feeling like her heart was beating too hard against her chest. "Seeing as parts of the release window are going to be related to what he's planning."

Ilia gave Blake an unsure look, like she was seeking something that wasn't all that obvious, even to Blake. She leaned in, bracing her hands on the table at her side and dropping her volume almost entirely.

"Then what are you planning?" Ilia asked, and Blake sighed before leaning in the same way, although she was sure that she looked much more relaxed in her position. "Because it's starting to sound like you're planning something, Blake."

Blake sighed and glanced towards the door to the shop, double checking that Adam wasn't watching them. It looked like he was standing on the sidewalk and smoking something. Once she was sure that it was safe, Blake allowed herself to give her response.

"My source-" Blake let the words hang in the air, since Ilia would be able to figure out what it meant. "Wants to let some things out in the open for her own sake." Blake hesitated for a moment, taking a breath as she looked for the exact correct words for her to use in this discussion. "Things which will probably have fairly major consequences for her. I want to be sure to keep the story out of the public eye and away from the people that she is concerned with until after the fundraiser."

Ilia sighed and nodded, looking a little bit annoyed by the way that the two of them were having to keep things a secret. "You know that your... personal relationship to this source may be a problem."

"I'm aware." Blake replied. "And that is part of the reason that I'm giving you the draft. I tried to write it as impartially as I could and present the story that _she_ wanted to tell, not mine. If there are any additional problems, I'd be glad to hear them but-" Blake sighed. "I need to know that you'll hold back the things that need to stay out of the public eye until you have the go ahead."

"You have my word." Ilia replied. She turned her head slightly, and Blake figured that she was checking whether or not Adam was there herself. "I'll keep this to myself and get it back to you in person as soon as I've finished reading and suggesting edits."

"Thank you." Blake said, glancing to the door herself. "Can I ask you something, though?"

"It's about..." Ilia gestured vaguely towards the door with a small nod. "Isn't it?"

"It is." Blake sighed. "I wanted to get a chance to talk to him myself, but I wanted to know why you decided to bring him with you to a meeting here..."

"In truth?" Ilia asked, sighing. "My car broke down, and I asked him to get me here. I'm sorry. I should have given you a heads up."

Blake hesitated, because she wasn't sure what the truth was in that moment. She didn't even know that she was going to be able to figure out what was actually going on for a little bit.

Regardless of whether she liked it or not, Blake knew that what Ilia had just said mattered. She knew that if Ilia was lying (and Blake was becoming less and less sure of that almost daily it felt like) then it was because Adam probably had something over her. Not that Blake would actually know what that thing was.

She hesitated before answering and glanced to the door again. Adam was still there on the street, enjoying a smoke. But he picked his head up, his gaze falling squarely on Blake. It left a shiver running down her spine because this was something that she _really_ didn't want.

"It's… fine." Blake said, reminding herself that she did in fact have plans for this. She just needed to be able to set them in motion without losing her nerve in the process. That was something that was just much easier said than done. "Just… keep me up to date with things." Blake asked, locking her eyes with Ilia's cool grey ones. "I've given you everything that I needed to pass on."

Ilia looked at her and sighed, and Blake couldn't help but to wince internally at it. It made it feel like there was something particular that Ilia had been hoping for, and Blake really didn't want to know.

"Right." Ilia said, getting up to her feet. "Just… call me when you need me."

"I will." Blake answered.

Ilia got up, with a certain sort of heaviness to actions that Blake wasn't able to easily ignore. She watched as her friend went to the front of the shop and watched as she and Adam exchanged a few words. Adam looked back to the store, and once again Blake felt like she was under a microscope because that was the way that he was choosing to look at her.

He took a moment, snuffing out his cigarette before coming inside, leaving Ilia behind just outside.

Blake didn't allow for herself to move so much as a muscle as she sat there at the table. Adam sauntered up to her and dropped himself into the seat across from her, right where Ilia had been moments ago.

They were both silent for a too long moment before either of them bothered to speak up.

"Adam." Blake greeted him, holding herself still with her head up high. He just nodded his acknowledgement, which was an action that was more than enough to leave Blake feeling frustrated by the way that things were going.

"Blake." He decided to answer her. "You know I'm starting to get sick of you never calling."

Blake bit back her response and closed her eyes before allowing herself to move on. "Are you still doing the raid on the Schnee's fundraiser for the hospital?" Blake started there, fishing for any sort of information that she would be able to find. She wasn't exactly expecting to learn anything from it, but it was worth a try.

"I am." Adam responded, grinning just slightly. "Why, are you interested now?"

"I don't know." Blake responded, her eyes flicking down to her hands. She felt too nervous, sitting there with Adam. She couldn't just act like he was didn't do anything to put her on high alert at all. "I was just curious."

Adam nodded slowly, still smirking. "What was so important that you couldn't talk to Ilia about it with me around?"

"Nothing." Blake responded, harshening her voice. Blake knew things about Adam- he knew that she'd dated Ilia just after him, and he was probably at the very least aware of the the fact that the two of them were broken up. "I just needed to talk to her about something."

"Not work related?"

"Work related." Blake responded, cutting Adam off. "Excuse me for wanting a chance to talk to my editor without feeling like someone is breathing down my neck the entire time."

"Right." Adam said, shrugging and leaning back in his seat. Making himself comfortable like there was absolutely nothing wrong in the world. Blake doubted that seeing her sent chills down his spine. "So then you wouldn't mind telling me?"

"You know that I'm not going to." Blake reached out for her mug of tea, partially looking for anything that she could use to calm herself down. At the very least, she could grip the mug as tightly as she needed without setting off any sort of red alerts ot Adam. "You'll know what it is when the story comes out."

"Or I can get Ilia to tell me." Adam said, glancing back to the door, and still smiling. He thought that he had an uppoer hand, and Blake wasn't going to allow for it.

"Or," Blake said. "I help you with something, and in exchange you leave my work alone and you don't bother Ilia."

"Oh?" Adam replied. "And what's bringing on this change of heart?"

"I need you to leave me alone." Blake all but growled. "If I help you, you help me by leaving my work alone."

"And what would be in it for me?" Adam asked, and Blake couldn't help but to hesitated because that was something that she didn't have any sort of good answer to. The only thing that she really had to go on was the fact that Adam had asked her to join her first.

Blake sighed, letting her eyes drift shut as she took the moment to just think it out and come up with a good answer. "You wanted me to come with you first." Blake stated it, straight out and without any strings attached. "A chance at another job like what we used to do."

"I want that." Adam replied, leaning back in his seat and letting himself drape an arm over the back of it. "But I can't help but feel like you're coming to me because you need something. And I don't appreciate the secrecy. Maybe if you were willing to trade something with me, then I would be glad to work with you."

"You are going to need to be more specific about what you want from me, then." Blake said, because no matter what she absolutely refused to give up anything about what was going on in her personal life. That was information that Adam was plainly not privy to. He'd lost that privilege years before when he'd decided to make her life hell for no apparent reason.

Adam nodded, still staring Blake down. She almost wanted to go ahead and suggest to him that he should get a coffee or something because it was looking like they were going to be there for a while. But for her to do that would feel like too much of a courtesy on her part, with too many ways to be misinterpreted.

There was a long quiet. Blake watched Adam reach into his pocket and set his phone down on the table between the two of them.

"First." Adam says, pushing it closer to Blake. "I need to know that if you and I are going to do anything, I need to know that you are going to actually talk to me." Blake looked down at the phone that sat between them, realizing entirely what he was asking for her to do. It was something that she didn't want to do at all.

But...

"What else?" Blake asked, staring at him with narrowed eyes. She couldn't do much to really make herself intimidating against Adam at all. "Because I find it hard to imagine that's all there is."

"I want your story." Adam grumbled. "Not necessarily for myself. But you're keeping secrets from me and I don't like it. You tell me about your story."

"That isn't going to happen." Blake started, because that was the least that she needed to say. "I am keeping it under wraps until the most opportune time to publish."

"And?" Adam asked. "Is that all?"

"I can't afford to have this story leak." Blake said, doing her best to keep her voice even. "In any form. I've been given access to an extremely reliable source, and that is something that I refuse to allow to be compromised."

Adam nodded along. "Then I suppose that there is nothing to talk about."

Blake let her eyes flick down to the phone, her mind already racing back to the conversations that she'd overheard that morning from her bedroom. Weiss was worried about what was happening, and Blake felt the same way. She just needed to know that she could get any sort of outlet for them to get information.

Adam was her best chance, because he was the one that was going to be the most close to the problems that she would face. It was all that she could do at that point.

If she was going to help Weiss, then it was too likely that she was going to need to be able to sell herself out to Adam.

She picked her eyes up and let the two of them lock eyes for a moment. She hated Adam's eyes, Blake thought. Once she had loved them.

"I can't give you that story." Blake said, keeping her voice and her tone as even as was physically possible. She reached out for the phone though, setting her hand just beside it and giving him the sign that he would be there. "But I think that I might be able to give you something else."

"What could you possibly give me?" Adam asked, his voice harsh and cold as ever. "Because I don't think that you have anything other than information."

"I can give you some sort of access." Blake said calmly. "I will have to make some calls though."

Adam smiles, and the look he gives her makes Blake want to crawl back inside of her own skin and hide herself away from him. He nods, and Blake picks up the phone.

When she goes to his list of contacts, Blake hates every fiber of her own being because she knows exactly what this will mean.

She's going to keep Weiss safe, Blake tells herself that even as she enters her number into Adam's phone the same way that she had months before.


	21. waking dream

The call came as a complete surprise at close to four in the morning, and as soon as she'd gotten it Weiss had readied herself for what was to come. Minutes later, Klein's car arrived outside of Blake's apartment and Weiss climbed in beside him at shotgun instead of taking the back.

He rushed the two of them across Atlas to the hospital without so much as an extra syllable, both of them much more concerned with the news that they'd just gotten.

The urgency in the call had spoken for itself.

Perhaps if it were any other night, or time, or matter, Klein would have talked to her throughout the entire ride. He would have offered his constant comforts and assurances, and it would have made things better.

Instead, he was focused. Weiss understood that. She wasn't sure that any of it would have worked anyways, all things considered.

When the two of them arrived at the hospital, Whitley was already there, along with a few members of the SchneeCorp Board of Directors that Weiss recognized, though she didn't know them all by face and name. She stepped into the waiting room, and immediately everyone's eyes were on her.

They all knew about what was wrong between her and her brother. They all knew that she had no place there on a business level. They knew exactly the same things that she did.

Weiss tried not to be hurt by the obvious absences in the room instead of focusing on the Board members.

"Sister." Whitley said, and the word rushed out of him in a way that almost sounded breathless. Like he too was worried, and he looked viscerally upset. Almost like someone had reached out and slapped him minutes before and he was afraid. "You came."

"I did." Weiss said, letting her volume drop and glancing to the members of the Board that were standing by. She kept her voice down and stepped in a little bit closer to her brother on the chance that the two of them wouldn't be overheard while they spoke. "What's going on?"

"It's father." Whitley replied, reaching out for Weiss and interlocking his arm with hers and nodding to the others as though he wasn't the younger brother and was instead playing along as an escort. There was a quiet mumbling that seemed to be the only approval that was needed for them to go.

With that, Weiss and Whitley slipped off to a more quiet area to speak. Somewhere where they couldn't be spied on or intruded on.

"What happened?" Weiss asked again, because the point that it would be their father had been obvious enough. "Did he-"

"They said that there were signs of... improvement." Whitley said, and for the first time Weiss realized that her brother looked exhausted. Even with all of the turmoil that had happened between the two of them, Weiss hadn't thought much about how her brother was handling things. The ostracization she'd felt had kept her from doing so.

It left her wonder just how much her little brother had been forced to shoulder alone. The dark circles under his eyes showed through whatever cover he'd put on to hide them.

"What sorts of improvement?" Weiss asked, looking back over her shoulder to check that nobody was trying to overhear them. She only saw Klein, looking back at her out of the corner of his eye. Always watching to keep her and her brother safe. "Was he waking up?"

"It looked like he was going to." Whitley admitted, keeping his voice down. "The doctor called me, and then it was up to me to call the other members of the Board. Then I figured that I should call you and see to it that Klein got you here."

Weiss nodded and she stepped in close to her brother for the first time, wrapping her arms around him for a hug that she felt like she needed desperately. Whitley almost jerked back from her, but he relaxed a moment later into her touch.

"Thank you." Weiss whispered, trying her best to find a way to collect her thoughts. She took a deep breath before finally allowing herself to slip away. "So everyone is here in case he wakes up then?"

"That's... correct." Whitley sighed, looking back up at her and still looking exhausted. "I don't know if that will be the case tonight, though."

Weiss nodded, still at a loss for words because there really wasn't anything that she could think of that was worth saying to him.

"I suppose that you and I will be here for a while, then." Weiss said, thinking that she needed to take a chance and call Winter if the chance arose. She deserved to know.

"That appears to be the case." Whitley mumbled, rubbing at his jaw absently.

Weiss nodded along, in the hopes that something might be able to make her feel a little bit more secure in what she was doing somewhere down the line. However as things were, she wasn't sure that was possible. She looked back to her brother.

"I don't want to be here either." Weiss said, and though those were words that she shouldn't have felt like she'd needed to say, she did anyways. It was a way to potentially clear some of the air between the two of them for the time being.

"I'm aware." Whitley murmured. He took a seat in the waiting room, and Weiss slipped down into the seat beside him. She set her hands down in her lap and did her absolute best to ignore the ringing of her phone in her pocket. She could feel the vibration, and she knew that she needed to answer it sometime-

But as things were, that just wasn't possible. Not when Weiss couldn't be sure that she would be safe regardless of who was on the other end. Whoever it was would understand once they knew what was happening.

The two of them might have sat there for hours together, both of them waiting for any sign that things were changing. At some point, Whitley had slipped off to sleep in his seat, and some of the members of the Board had left in search of a breakfast since one of them had apparently called in for a table at one of the nicer eateries nearby.

Weiss and Whitley hadn't been invited along, and she wished that she was surprised by it. It was probably better that the two of them stayed anyways.

With her brother sitting and the only one playing attention to her being Klein, Weiss checked her messages and found that they were from Blake- some reporting a change in how things were going with her investigation, too many of them worried sick about where Weiss had gone.

She'd have to explain and catch up with Blake later.

Weiss sent the messages about the fundraiser along to Klein in the hopes that he would be able to do something with it all.

He looked up at her when the message got through, and the two of them made eye contact. Weiss nodded, and he understood well enough- that was something she was sure of.

Weiss relaxed back into the bench, ignoring the weight of her brother's head against her shoulder. She let her eyes slip shut herself, since it didn't seem like she could leave just yet.

Thirty minutes later, the door to the waiting room opened, and Weiss was all but startled out of her sleep. She looked up and saw that a pretty nurse had come in, her soft orange hair brushed back out of her face.

"Mister Schnee?" She asked, and Weiss shifted her shoulder. She felt Whitley jerk his head up a bit, roused to consciousness finally.

Whitley blinked and looked at the woman. "Yes?" He asked, and he sounded exactly as groggy as he looked. Weiss just sat up tall and tried to make herself look a little bit more presentable.

"Your father is awake." The woman said, looking from him to Weiss. "It may be some time before he is able to take visitors, I'm afraid."

Whitley nodded and looked to Weiss, his eyes looking sad and afraid. "That's... fine, I think." He said, sitting up tall. "If you could just let us know when that is possible, or if something changes?"

"Of course!" The nurse replied before hurrying herself out of the room and leaving Weiss, Whitley, and Klein alone once more.

The silence lingered between the three of them and Weiss let out a quiet sigh. The first of them to say anything was Klein, and that was a relief in many ways.

"You two seem exhausted." The man said. "Should I get you some coffee to enjoy while you wait?"

"Could you get us croissants with it?" Whitley asked, sounding small and exhausted. "The ones with chocolate and fruit in them?"

Klein nodded, the universal sign that he had already made a mental note of the request that had been made of him. "But of course, Master Whitley." Klein said before turning his eyes to Weiss, clearly expecting for her to make a request of her own.

"Coffee would be nice." Weiss said, keeping her voice down. "As would a croissant." In all honesty, when it came to her little brother while it was true that there were things about him that Weiss didn't like, he did have good taste, for better or for worse.

"I see." Klein said, looking between the two of them and then letting his eyes drift over towards the door. "And would you prefer that I leave you here to wait, or would you prefer to come with me?"

Weiss and Whitley looked at each other, both understanding perfectly well what Klein had decided to ask them about. It wasn't a matter of leaving them there- it was a matter of whether or not they felt like they needed to have some privacy while they waited for any sort of update on their father's status.

Whitley's eyes flickered down and he nodded. Weiss nodded along with him and was the first to get up, offering Whitley her hand because she wasn't going to go ahead and put him out when things were already hard for them both. What mattered wasn't the company in that moment- it was their family, and the shattered bits of it that they had left.

Together the three of them left the hospital, taking a moment to inform a nurse that they would be back within the hour. They walked out to the car, and Klein opened the door to the back for them both to climb in before going to the front and taking the wheel.

As soon as the door was closed behind Weiss, the conversation started.

"Do you think that we should inform mother?" Whitley asked immediately. "I suspect that it wouldn't do any good, but-"

"I think that we probably should." Weiss sighed, leaning back in her seat. It was better if the two of them didn't focus on the details of their mother's status as being away from them too much. Not when they were hurting already. If they called and only found that she was already drunk, it wouldn't end well for anyone.

But still she hesitated, because Weiss _knew_ her family, just as Whitley did. The way that it had always gone was that Whitley was her father's favorite, while Winter was her mother's. Weiss had always fallen into an uncomfortable area in between and had never quite been able to dig herself out of it no matter how hard she tried.

Weiss nodded. "I should call Winter." She said quietly, at least partially bracing herself for her brother to say something. "She should know."

"She left."

"He's still her father." Weiss bit back, and when she noticed the bitterness that had crept into Whitley's voice over their sister's absence, she kept her back straight. It was impossible to play along like there was nothing wrong at all. "And she's still our sister. You don't have to talk to her. I'll make the call."

Whitley sighed and he looked annoyed and upset, but he did nod a moment later. That was about as good as it was going to get, Weiss figured.

She reached for her phone and went to the clock, bringing up the display for the various parts of the world. She didn't even know if she would be able to reach Winter if she were to call then and there.

It would all depend on what she was doing at work in the moment, she supposed.

"Should I call mother, then?" Whitley asked, keeping his voice tight. "Because-"

"You know-" Klein started from the front of the car. "If it would be more comfortable for me to make the call for you then I would do so instead."

"That would be greatly appreciated." Whitley said, and he seemed to curl in on himself a little bit as he sat there. "Thank you, Klein."

Klein smiled back at them and continued his driving until they were at a small shop that he knew that Whitley liked to go to. Weiss didn't particularly care for it, but she knew that Klein was going to keep an eye out to make sure that nothing strange could possibly happen. Appeasing Whitley was one of the ways in which he could ensure that

But with them left to their own devices, Weiss and Whitley were able to talk once more time.

"Do you think that he'll be allowed to see us when we get back?" Whitley asked, still sounding impossibly sad. "And do you think that it will-"

"I don't know if anything will change because of it." Weiss said, keeping her voice quiet. "You're still going to be the one in line for the company." She tried her absolute best to ignore the way that she felt about the issue of where the company's control would go after. "And you're going to be able to talk to him sometime, I'm sure of it."

Whitley nodded, picking his head up and letting his gaze stray over to Weiss. He looked a little bit annoyed by the situation, but he also didn't seem like he was about to lash out or anything.

All that Weiss could concentrate on was how her family was still falling apart and how it had once felt okay.

Once it had felt like she'd actually been able to make sense of things. Once she'd thought that her family had actually loved each other, once she'd thought that she and her siblings had been all in line together. That they had loved each other.

Now there was the constant feeling that they were drifting apart, falling apart at the seams. Weiss had known it for a while, but her father's hospitalization had only torn open the wound that had been there for all too long. She missed the days when she still felt like she loved her brother.

She wished that she was able to make Whitley feel better, when she didn't know what she was supposed to say to him anymore. Not when there were practically oceans between them. Not when she and Whitley's relationship had been falling apart for so long, and it had been made worse over the course of time.

"Weiss-" Whitley started, picking his head up and locking his eyes onto hers and obviously looking for something there. "If I ask you a question, would you actually go ahead and answer it?"

Weiss flinched, and she didn't want to know whether Whitley had noticed or what he was about to ask her about. She blinked and nodded slowly, but also decided to keep herself aware of what Whitley would say. Without a way to read his mind, she was vulnerable.

"What is it?" Weiss asked, looking back over at her brother and only feeling afraid of what her brother would say.

"Why have you been avoiding us?" Whitley said the words, and he sounded... hurt. "You've been here in Atlas, but I know that you've been avoiding the mansion. I understand after the other day that the conversation we had didn't go well, but-" He looked down at his hands. "Do you realize how things have been since you left?"

"For Vale?"

"Yes."

Weiss shook her head, because while she knew the reasons that had made her run to Vale herself, she didn't necessarily know what had made her brother decided to stay in Atlas. He could have left if he'd wanted to, but Weiss had needed to be able to go for her own sake.

"I... can't say that I've thought about it." Weiss said, knowing that her voice was too quiet. It occurred to her that no matter what the two of them said, the two of them would be overheard by Klein. The good thing was that Klein was probably the one person alive that both of them could trust. "Is... there a reason that you're bringing it up?"

Whitley nodded. "You know how father is," He said, his voice dipping in volume and rather obvious anger beginning to peek through it. "When you left, he got more and more controlling over the home. He got worse to mother, and then to me, and I am certain that I'm not the only one."

Weiss shrank back, realizing what her brother was being forced to deal with for the first time. He'd always seemed happy with the way that things were, but it was too likely that it was because of her leaving that things would have turned on to him.

That's how it had been when Winter had left for her.

How could she have ignored that it would have happened to Whitley as well?

"I'm sorry." She whispered to her brother, feeling her face flush with shame the entire time because this was so far from what she would have ever wanted for him to experience. "I didn't mean to do that to you."

Whitley nodded, but Weiss was all but certain that he didn't believe her. Weiss didn't know that she would have been able to do the same had it been her in his place. It had been, once, but when that had happened Weiss had made a point of doing what she could to find her way out.

"I hope that Vale has made you happy, Weiss."

"It did." Weiss sighed, but it wasn't enough. "To some degree."

"You weren't happy there?"

"I don't know." Weiss said after a moment. "I think that I went there because I felt like I needed to get away from Atlas, and from…" Her voice trailed off, but she was sure that Whitley could fill in the blanks for the details that she so badly didn't want to have to say out loud. "It think that I went there looking for something that never could have made me happy."

"To get away from father."

"To feel free." Weiss replied, because it was an important distinction. In Vale, she had never truly been away from their father. She'd always found herself constantly worrying about how the things that she did in Vale would affect things back in Atlas. "Vale wasn't enough."

Whitley nodded. "I truly do miss you."

"I'm sorry." Weiss whispered as Klein finally pulled up in front of the shop that they'd been going to. She watched as the butler climbed out and began on his way inside, while Weiss and Whitley were left behind. Weiss couldn't help that she felt some relief over the fact that the two of them were going to finally have a little bit of time alone.

Whitley nodded bad let out a breath, one that it seemed like he had been trying to hold for a while. The heaviness in his motions and in his sounds was enough to tell Weiss everything- he was hurting, and he'd been abandoned. Weiss didn't know that she was going to be able to do anything to comfort him. "If he wakes up, he is going to want to speak to us both."

"I would expect as much..." Weiss said, letting her voice go quiet. "But he's been comatose for weeks. What if he wakes up and he isn't... what if he isn't the same?"

"Then the company would go to me, I suppose." Whitley mumbled. "I think that I am ready to take over SchneeCorp, but I don't know that I'm going to be able to do as much as father or our grandfather ever did for it." Whitley held his head up high, but still he seemed stressed and afraid. He was just better at hiding it, by the looks of things. "Do you think that I can do it?"

And that- that more than anything else was one of the questions that Weiss didn't have a good answer for. She had spent so much of her time and energy doing what she could to improve her own worth for the position. When she had been far from Atlas, what was going on with her brother had remained on a low priority level for her. It wasn't as though either of them had made many efforts to call the other and check in.

Weiss had only even come to Atlas because Klein had gone ahead and called her about her father's heart attack. If he hadn't, she would have had to find out through the news or social media. There were still seeds of resentment in Weiss' chest that she couldn't just ignore over that. Her brother had all but left her to fare for herself alone.

But she was going to need an answer, when Weiss didn't know that she had one that she could really give.

"I think you could." Weiss told a bitter lie, and hated all of it.

It seemed to have the desired effect though, if the way that Whitley perked up just slightly as any indication. There was a quiet for a moment which lasted only as long as it took for Klein to make it back into the car. With that, he just started it and began the drive back to the hospital.

Weiss felt terrible for every moment that she spent there with the others, never with even the slightest idea as to what she wanted to say.

They sat in the hospital for six more hours once they'd made it back. Only after then were either her or Whitley allowed in.

Weiss braced herself.

* * *

Blake looked over her things and her notes, over and over again, always looking for something new that she could write on. She had been doing her best to follow some of the leads that she'd been given, but had only managed to get so far on them alone. She was too worried and distracted to be able to make any headway.

Weiss was usually helpful, but it was the first time where she was trying to get ahold of the heiress all day and hadn't been able to get so much as a word out of her. It left Blake itching, both with worry and also a feeling that there was something that she should have been getting ready to report on. Knowing that Weiss had left in the middle of the night without a word didn't help.

Late that night, at close to eleven, Blake's phone rang while she sat on her bed. She'd opened up an old notebook or two which she had used back when she was still working closely with Adam. In a way, it was almost enlightening to look back on some of the things that she'd done with him when they were younger.

Blake reached over and picked up the phone without even checking who it was that had decided to call her.

"Hello?"

"Blake." Weiss' voice came through the other end, and she sounded exhausted and broken. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

That was an... interesting question, Blake thought. She looked up at the clock and frowned, because it really wasn't all that late.

"You didn't." She said quietly, looking back down at the notebook in front of her. She found a page that looked like it was what she had used to keep track of her work schedule on back when she and Adam had been working in the Mantle SchneeCorp plant, looking for their story and to sabotage it. Blake let a finger travel down the page almost lovingly. "Is something going on?"

"I just... needed someone to talk to." Weiss replied, her voice too quiet. "Today's been stressful."

"What do you mean?" Blake asked. She made sure to toss her pen away, since Weiss saying that she needed to talk to someone was all but surely going to mean that whatever they talked about would be of the record.

"My father woke up and I had to go and-." Weiss said, her voice still quiet and sad. "And now I don't know what to think of things because-" Blake heard her cut herself off, and then the ensuing silence seemed to say too much. Like Weiss was at risk of being overheard and she knew it entirely too well. She was possibly even hiding, Blake thought. Maybe even in a place that was public. "I talked to Whitley."

"What happened?" Blake asked, blinking because that was something that she really hadn't been expecting to hear out of Weiss at all. In a way, she'd thought that Weiss would have cut off all ties to her brother at around the same time that she and him had last spoken. Clearly that hadn't been the case.

Weiss let out a quiet, shaking breath and then finally let herself explain. "Klein was called this morning." She began to explain. "We got to the hospital and Whitley was there with members of the board. Apparently they'd been called immediately, but..." She went quiet. "We were both afraid, Blake. Of what would happen if he didn't wake up."

"But he did wake up, didn't he?" Blake asked, letting herself lean back against her headboard.

"He did."

It was obvious to Blake that there was something else wrong, dancing beneath the surface of Weiss' words. Her father had woken up, but there was clearly something wrong that Weiss didn't want to say out loud.

Blake took a deep breath and tried her bvest to relax herself for whatever was to come, since she had a feeling that she wasn't going to like anything that Weiss was about to say. Not when there was something wrong.

"So tell me about it." Blake said calmly, since that was going to be all of the lead in that she could have possibly needed. Weiss was open with her- usually. That was something that Blake was mostly sure of.

Weiss was mostly silent but finally she began to speak. "He... wasn't himself." She explained quietly, still sounding like she was just afraid that she would be overheard by someone. "I mean, he was awake and he recognized us but I've never seen him so... quiet. I don't know that he's going to be anything like he'd been before. Whitley is scared, and so am I. Klein agreed to help us with some things like calling our mother, but..." Her voice trailed off.

"I'm sorry." Blake said quietly. "I'm going to guess that you aren't allowed to talk about any of this?"

"I'm not." Weiss confirmed. "I'm at the mansion and in my room, but I... don't really trust that the entire place isn't on high alert right now. Klein does what he can to look after us, but I can't attest for how things go with the other housekeepers. I just needed for you to know what's happening. I'm sorry I ran off like that."

"I get it. I'm not mad." Blake said hurriedly. "What do you mean about the other housekeepers?"

Weiss was quiet again and Blake heard her sigh, then the quiet creak of a bed as Weiss laid back into it. "I don't know who I can trust when I'm here." She said, far too quiet. "I don't know that Whitley isn't putting people up to things. I want to believe in him, but it isn't that easy. Not when we've been practically raised to compete."

Blake nodded, though she knew that Weiss wasn't going to be able to see it for herself. "I understand." She said quietly, and her mind wanted to rocket back to her own situation and all of the things that she was concerned with. She knew that she couldn't exactly trust anyone that she was working with, but...

It was going to be for the best if she made sure to make sure that Weiss knew exactly what was going on with her.

"So..." Weiss sighed, clearly looking for some sort of change in topic. "What is going on for you, Blake?"

"I've been getting ready to do things for work." Blake said calmly, blinking and looking back down at the notes that were still sitting in front of her. She reached out and closed the notebook because she didn't want to focus on them any longer. "And I'm going to be... involved with some things that are going to be a problem for you later."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to work with Adam from the inside to see if I can derail his plans." Blake said, looking over her shoulder at the door to double check that she wasn't going to have company. She didn't know why she was so worried about it, but she needed to double check that she was going to be left alone for some time. "I don't know if there will be trouble from it, but... you needed to know."

Weiss was silent for a long time, and Blake couldn't blame her for it. She would have needed some time to be able to digest that information herself. But it was also just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the things that Blake really needed to talk about.

"Okay." Weiss said, and once Blake was sure, she went forward.

"I handed off the article about our interview to my editor." Blake explained. "She's only going to let it be posted after I give her the approval to do so."

"Alright." Weiss sighed, and she didn't sound like she was confident about what that wa going to mean at all. Blake couldn't exactly blame her for it, all things considered. "Do you have any plans for when that is going to be?"

"It's only going to happen if you are okay with the timing." Blake replied. "You said that you wanted this to come out on your terms, right?"

"I did."

"So it's on your terms." Blake finished. "When you think that the time is right, I will give Ilia a call, and it'll go up. Only when that happens will it happen."

"Right." Weiss was quiet for too long once more. Her voice came in, and she sounded like she was broken. "I just don't know what I feel right now."

"Nobody is expecting you to." Blake mumbled. "Especially not right now." She took a quick look at the clock- it was late, and she had reason to believe that both she and Weiss were going to be busy in the morning. "If you want you and I can get together sometime." Blake offered, even though it wasn't going to be much and it wasn't exactly going to offer many comforts.

"I think I'd like that." Weiss murmured. "I'll let you know when I can."

"Of course." Blake responded calmly. "Take care, Weiss."

"Thank you, Blake."

Blake listened as the phone hung off, Weiss' voice disappearing behind a quiet click. There was a certain sort of guilt that ended up stirring down low in her stomach because things weren't going to be getting better anytime soon for either of them.

All that she could do at that point was be there when Weiss needed her, and do her job.


	22. familiar spaces

Blake wasn't _exactly_ sure what it was that told her that goin in to the main office for The Fang was a good idea. It was a place that she'd rarely needed to visit in the past, to the point where her own "office" was merely a cleared off piece of desk in the corner.

The prospect of spending just about any amount of time at The Fang's main offices wasn't something that Blake exactly relished- there was a reason that she tended to stay away. More than one reason, really. The reality of most of her work being put online meant that she only came in when she was given a specific assignment or was called up to speak to a superior. The amount of freedom that she was given in her position was remarkable, Blake knew. But that had everything to do with how The Fang was structured.

In truth, The Fang didn't actually have that many employees to its name. She and Adam were among four or five reporters total. Ilia acted as one of 2 editors, the Albain twins, Corsac and Fennec took care of day to day business at the offices, while Sienna Khan acted as editor in chief and oversaw everything else.

If they needed outside help, just about everyone that worked in that building had _someone_ that they could have reached out to. Sienna had her people, just the same as Blake had her own.

Almost as soon as she arrived, she was immediately reminded how quiet The Fang's offices tended to be on the average day. One of the twins greeted her at the door (she didn't take the moment to check which) and Blake simply informed him that she was in for work. With that done, she made a beeline for her office- pitiful as it was.

The twin shrugs her off and goes to sit down at his desk, which has his nameplate on the front. Corsac. He bends back over whatever he's doing, and pays her no mind after that. His twin does the same, clearly much more involved in website layouts than people.

Getting into the room where her office was would only take a moment. She just needed to be able to unlock the door, and then she'd be able to get to work. In the middle of her fiddling with her keys, there was a voice behind her. The voice of someone that she'd _known_ would be there, and had been preparing for all morning.

"Hello, Blake." Adam greeted her, his voice slipping out of his throat like poison and him sounding ready to make some sort of mose. "I see you came in today."

"Hello, Adam." Blake returned before shooting him a look back over her shoulder. At the same time, she finally got the door open and pushed it open before stepping inside.

"Are you ready to get to work?" Adam asked, shouldering his laptop bag. "Or should I expect to wait on you?"

"I'm going to need a few minutes." Blake responded coldly. "If you could give me the space-"

Adam seemed like he wanted to back off from her for just a moment, but he didn't. He just stood up straight and took a half-step back, just enough so that he could give Blake her space. Blake felt the spike of resentment over the action, but she got the door open and slipped into her own office anyways.

It's almost as clean as it had been when she was there last. There was no computer at the desk, since Blake chose to carry her own laptop to work instead. The stacks of notebooks were there, all labelled and most of them untouched since the stories they were used for were finished. Blake made her way to the desk, which was pushed up against the wall and sat down at it before removing her laptop from her bag.

Adam dropped into a spare seat on the other side of the room, just like he used to.

Blake rolled her eyes and prepared her workspace to be used, regardless of whether or not Adam was there.

She took her sweet time arranging her desk, and was almost surprised that Adam had decided to sit there the entire time. Blake had been sure that he would have had better things to do with his time, but instead he was just there bothering her.

"So," Adam said, starting off the conversation. He let one of his legs stretch out in front of him. Like he was claiming space. "You and I are going to go to this Schnee thing, huh?"

"We are." Blake responded, going straight to her media feed. A release by SchneeCorp had gone up early that morning to announce that Jacques Schnee was recovering, but it didn't say much else other than that the family was requesting their privacy for the time being. It's good for Blake, because she can at least trust that she won't let something slip that didn't matter. "But I guess that the conditions around that are going to be changing with their leader conscious again."

"Guess so." Adam muttered. "You know that we aren't going to be getting in normally though."

"I figured as much." Blake grumbled back, already annoyed. She knew for a fact that she could dress well enough that she'd be able to blend in with the crowd. If she got her hair done well enough and wore a nice enough dress, she could get into close to anything. Blake was more than sure of that. Knowing that Weiss would be there and she'd see her is a nice enough indicator on its own. A useful one. "So what is your plan for getting into the benefit anyways?"

"Well," Adam said with a shrug. "I guess that you and I could start by talking about what you even know about it."

Blake blinked and sighed, crossing one leg over the other. "I know that it's going to be held at SchneeCorp's world headquarters." She began, staring Adam down from across the room. "And that anyone going in through the front is going to need to be on some sort of list to even get through the door. I'm going to guess that it is going to be comprised of donors or something similar."

"But _you_ said that you might be able to get the two of us in."

"I _did_." Blake sighed, thinking back to the night before. Had it not been for the circumstances of why Weiss had called her, she would have talked to Weiss about entry. She was going to need to call Weiss, or at the very least she needed to talk to Klein. Between the two of them, one of them was going to be able to protect the things that Adam was concerned with. "I have a contact that is close to the Schnee Family which may be able to slip our names onto the lists." Blake explained as calmly as she could manage. "I haven't been able to make contact with them just yet, though."

"Really now?" Adam leaned in, resting his elbows on his bent knees as he sat. "And where did you get such great contacts, Blake?"

"I talked to the right people at the right time." Blake responded, wanting to bristle and become defensive, but she didn't allow for herself to do so. Adam was trying to get under her skin and fishing for answers in the same way that he always would. "That's all."

"And you are confident that they can get the two of us into the benefit?" Adam asked, staring her down. He picked his hand up to rub at his eyes, and it made him come off as more than exhausted. Blake noticed for the first time that there are bruises under his eyes and can't help but wonder what she was actually seeing. "Because we are going to need that."

Blake cocked her head to the side a little bit, just enough of an angle that it made her hair fall down into her face. "What was your plan for getting in if you weren't on a guest list?"

"Sienna has friends in high places." Adam said, grinning widely. "I would have just had to ask to borrow a name for a little while and I could have gotten in."

Blake rolled her eyes. "Then why don't you do that?"

"Because I don't think that Sienna's associate will appreciate it-" He began, his eyes flickering away from Blake's face for a moment. "And also because this will just be easier. If you're telling the truth, that is."

Blake didn't even begin to pretend as though she really knew what she wanted to say to Adam over that. It feels too convoluted, too messy for her to be able to just ignore it.

But that wasn't what was important, so Blake just sighed . "I will make the call and ask for a way in. I might ask for a fake name or two to go on the list for the sake of everyone involved-"

"Good." Adam grumbled. "You know that the Schnee board will probably recognize our faces."

Blake rolled her eyes. "You say that like you and I have never worked to blend into a crowd before."

"This isn't like a factory job though, Blake." Adam responded, twirling a pen that he'd had in his pocket between his fingers. "This is something much more important. And much classier besides."

"Which is why you're planning to make it about infiltrating an office?"

"I'm just looking to tell a good story." Adam laughed, still leaning back in the chair that he had taken like he owns the entire room. "You know how that is."

Blake could only wish that was something that she could actually deny.

It wasn't.

* * *

Klein had been the first one that Weiss had seen that morning, and she had spent all of her time with him that day. He'd gotten a call from Blake asking help with regards to the fundraiser, and had been sure to pass the information on to her about what was going on. Weiss appreciated it, even if she was very worried about what it was all going to mean for Blake later down the line.

Weiss had spent the earlier hours of her morning preparing for what the day ahead of her would look like. The prospect was there of what going to the hospital would end up being like. Her father was recovered to the point where he could have visitors, but the day before had been... wrong. And Weiss wasn't sure what she was actually supposed to think of any of it.

The plan as of her waking up and talking to Klein had been that she would be going to the hospital to check in on her father. He was going to see her, and Weiss was going to try and be there for him. She didn't know what she expected from it, just that she was likely to need to run off on her own later on.

Coco and Neptune were still in the city, and if Weiss really needed it she could go to Blake, or Yang, or maybe even Ruby.

The question was how her father was going to react to her being at the hospital alone.

An interruption came just as Weiss climbed into the car to make her departure from the manor.

It came in the sound of her phone ringing, too loudly and too obviously. Weiss winced and sighed as she fished it out of her pocket and looked down at the caller ID.

She had been expecting that she would hear from Blake about work, or something similar. She'd been expecting to her from one of her friends, or from Whitley.

She hadn't been expecting to hear from her sister.

Weiss steeled herself because she didn't know what this was going to turn out like. She picked up the phone and held it to her ear while she made herself comfortable in the back of the car. "Hello." Weiss greeted her sister.

"Hello, Weiss." Winter replied, her voice calm. "I figured that I should see how things were doing there in Atlas. I heard the news, but I wasn't sure if it was real."

Weiss blinked and looked out the window, feeling too far away for the conversation that was at hand. "I was meaning to call you." She began, because that was the bona fide truth. The problem was that some of the things that she needed to talk to Winter about were difficult, or otherwise hard to discuss. "I'm sorry."

"Did something change?" Winter asked, keeping her voice even and calm.

"The news is true. Father woke up yesterday." Weiss said, keeping her voice down. She looked back down to her free hand where it was resting in her lap. Idly, she began to stroke the fabric on her skirt as though it would leave her feeling more calm. "I should have called you sooner."

"It's alright." Winter said, and she sounded quiet, upset even. "I don't think that I would have been able to take any personal calls yesterday anyhow."

"He... isn't quite himself right now." Weiss admitted. "Whitley and I are both worried, but for pretty... different reasons. I'm sure you can understand."

"I've been reading the news out of Atlas, Weiss." Winter said, her voice piping up. "And I know that SchneeCorp has put out a statement. What is actually going on out there with you and Whitley?"

Weiss swallowed and she took a breath, looking for an answer to a question that there was truly no easy answer to. She could feel the slight tremble of her hand as she held her phone by her ear, and could only think about how Winter was there, on the other end of the line, waiting for her to say something.

Well, honestly _was_ always the best policy.

"Whitley will be inheriting SchneeCorp from our father." Weiss said, sitting up straight and putting as much of the evenness into her voice as she possibly could. "This was a decision that was made behind my back. Now that father is waking up, it seems that he will have some more time before anything can happen. But-"

Winter was quiet, but the phone betrayed the sound of her inhale. "I'm sorry." She said after a second of waiting. "I know that you spent most of your life preparing to lead SchneeCorp."

"I did." Weiss confirmed. "I haven't figured out how I feel about everything just yet. I know that Whitley is upset, but for now-" She shrugged, even though her sister wasn't going to be able to do it. "For now I will play along with the company and go to their fundraisers and events for the sake of the company and for father. I can deal with everything else that I'm feeling and thinking about after."

"Just remember to take care of yourself." Winter said to her. Weiss wished that her sister was actually there with her, and that the two of them could have a conversation in a way that would feel so much more real or tangible. "I'll call you again tonight."

"Thank you." Weiss said, forcing on a slight smile that wasn't going to be enough to reach her voice and she knew that perfectly well. "Take care, Winter."

"I could say the same to you, Weiss." Winter said her goodbyes, and then the line disconnected. Weiss let her hand fall with her phone still in her grasp. It landed almost limply, and Weiss felt something terrible rising in her. There was a prickle of heat at her eyes, and Weiss took a deep shuddering breath.

Not enough.

She still had to go and see her father, but now she was already upset.

This wasn't going to go well- that was something that Weiss could be sure of.

Klein sat in the front of the car now. Weiss hadn't even noticed that he'd gotten in. He just looked back at her with a sadness in his eyes. "Would you like to leave for the hospital now, Miss Schnee?"

"If we could take a detour, that would be nice." Weiss answered, wrapping her arms around herself and wanting to hide from something that wasn't really there. "I think that I may need a bit of time."

Klein nodded, and reached over to turn the keys. The car's engine came to life with a purr of sorts, and before Weiss or him could say anything else they were on the way off of of the Schnee Grounds, passing by the gate and driving back out towards the city.

The silence rested between the two of them, but Klein spoke up once he decided that he had something that he wanted to be said out loud to her. "You do not have to put yourself through these things." Klein said, keeping his voice down. "I understand that what is going on with your father is complicated."

"It is." Weiss mumbled. "But if he is awake, I think that I'll just be staying in Atlas long enough to go to the fundraiser and see that through, and then-"

"And then you will be going back to Vale?" Klein asked. "Is that what you truly want to do?"

Weiss shook her head because she really didn't know what she wanted to do. "I wish that I had an answer for you, Klein. I just... don't like being here."

"I guessed as much." Klein said, his voice quiet. "You never seem happy here."

"You know that there's a reason for that." Weiss mumbled, entirely resigned because this was something that she knew that Klein had figured out. After all, he had been there since the day that she had been born and had played more of a role as a parent to her than either of her actual parents ever hard.

"I am well aware, Miss Schnee." Klein said as he turned them off and onto a more public road. A detour that would be more than good enough for them to follow through on.

After that, the car went nearly silent and Weiss did her best to soak it in and calm down. Bit by tiny bit, Weiss could feel herself beginning to calm. Klein did the rounds around the city until she gave him a simple signal to tell him that she felt okay enough to go to the hospital.

Klein parked behind the hospital in a spot where few were likely to notice a Schnee Car, and then escorted Weiss in. The two of them walked through the hospital, stopping only to check in before heading to her father's room.

Weiss stopped just outside of the door, her hand hovering away from the door. She took a deep breath, but it wasn't going to be enough. For just a second, she allowed her eyes to slip shut before she knocked on the door, too quietly.

On the other side of the door, there was the quiet wheeze of her father's breath, and the beeping of machinery at his bedside. It was nearly silent, but there was the clear sound of someone walking around in there.

The door was opened by a worried looking Whitley.

"Sister." He greeted her, sounding somewhere between panicked and relieved. "You're here."

"I wanted to see father." Weiss said, craning her neck just slightly to try and get a view of the man. Her brother was too tall, and she wasn't able to get a good look into the room. "Is that alright?"

"It is." Whitley said, but there was something in his eyes that she couldn't make sense of. He took a step aside, walking back over towards one of the comfortable chairs that had been placed by their father's bed.

Weiss stepped inside and closed the door behind her, leaving Klein to quietly watch the door behind her.

The thing that Weiss had probably learned the most since her arrival back in Atlas was that she hated hospitals. She had never spent much time in them before since she had always been perfectly healthy and had never been in poor enough health to require anything past a family doctor.

Her father was lying in his bed, tubing feeding into his body. Weiss approached the bed and took a seat at her brother's side.

"Hello, father." Weiss greeted him, bowing her head obediently the same way that she always had to when she met with him.

He looked over at her, expression bored and his eyes as cold as they always were. His eyes were narrowed, and there was an obvious frown on his face despite the fact that it stayed hidden behind a mustache. There was unshaved stubble on his cheeks, and he looked more frail than Weiss had ever been able to imagine him.

"Weiss." He said her name in a way that made it sound like he was trying to scold her, just like he always had. Weiss tried not to focus on it, because she was there to look after her father. His obvious disdain towards her, her sister, and their mother was not of consequence. "I see you have decided to come."

"Klein and I hit traffic on the way." Weiss said, knowing that the explanation wasn't going to be enough for what he needed. He was trying to talk about her being in Atlas in the first place. "I wanted to be here sooner."

"I'm sure." He responded.

Jacques looked at her and then her brother before his eyes drifted to the door and his voice raised in volume as much as he could manage it. "Klein!"

The door opened immediately, in the practiced way that Klein had of doing things and the butler stepped into the room, all but wordless. He gave a slight bow at the door before moving in to stand beside it.

Jacques seemed to relax a little bit, if the way that his expression softened slightly was any indicator. "Klein." He said, like he had just returned to his old ways overnight. That alone sent a chill down Weiss' spine, because the day before when he"d woken up he'd been quiet and almost kind.

Now that he was apparently feeling a little more like himself, Weiss' hope that he had somehow come out of things a little bit nicer had been dashed.

"Sir." Klein responded to Jacques, once again giving a polite bow in greeting. "I am glad to see you doing well."

"Yes." Jacques muttered. "How has the household been in my absence?"

Weiss felt herself all but sink. She glanced back over at Whitley, and saw that he was frowning and had hung his head a little bit in the same way as she had. He looked back at her, his eyes sad but him clearly doing what he could to hold himself together. His posture was still straight and correct, and Weiss reminded to hold herself the same way.

When it came to their father, things were all about appearances. That was something that the both of them knew fully well.

"The household has been quite well." Klein said, taking the first steps so that he could stand a little closer to Jacques' bedside. He wasn't going to get as directly close as Weiss or Whitley would, Weiss knew, but he would stand closer at the very least. "There has been nothing of any importance to report. Everything has been running smoothly and in top shape."

Jacques nodded, like that was all that he had cared about. "And my wife?"

"Absent, sir."

"And my children?"

"Have both been well." Klein said, and it was the best possible reminder that Weiss could have gotten to tell her that she and Whitley were mere accessories to their father. "If you don't mind my saying."

"Good." Jacques said. He leaned back into his bed and Weiss watched her father's eyes slip close and tried not to get frustrated over just how severe his expression was. "I have heard from my board and shareholders that the company suffered a dip in stocks lately."

"Father," Whitley spoke up, and Weiss watched the way that his expression hardened in the same way that their mother's would when she was required to speak to Jacques. "Most companies see a fall in stocks following a potential change in ownership or power. It was-"

"Expected?" Jacques snarled back, while Whitley's mouth closed with a click of his jaw. "Faith in SchneeCorp must stand strong, regardless of who will be inheriting it. Keep in mind that this is unacceptable, Whitley."

"Yes, Father." Whitley said quietly, his eyes flicking down. "I understand."

"Good." Jacques muttered. "I will not have you two and your sister making a mockery of my legacy. Do you understand?"

Weiss and Whitley's eyes met for just a millisecond. Their expressions broth dropped and their heads bowed slightly in a way that was little more than just obedient. In unison, they both gave their answer of "Yes, father."

That almost seemed to appease Jacques, and before either Weiss or Whitley could say something, their father had already turned his attention back to Klein. The two of them were likely to converse for some time.

Weiss didn't know whether or not she was glad that she wasn't being paid attention to as though she was the focus of her father's world. Having a separation away from him was always comforting, especially when she always left meetings with him feeling terrible.

She understood better and better why Winter left every time.


	23. paths forward

Blake didn't like that Weiss had a habit of dropping off the map and going dark whenever it suited her. She understood that Weiss had a reason for going silent the way that she did, but that didn't stop her from being irritated by it. The good thing was that she _had_ managed to get what she needed out of Weiss so that she could prepare to go to the fundraiser herself, but she hadn't heard a word from Weiss since.

It left her feeling a little bit put out, since she couldn't be sure what she was supposed to do anymore. She didn't know where she stood when it came to Weiss, and that was something that Blake really didn't like. It felt like she was being pushed away on purpose but-

But Blake could understand why. As much as she wanted to be hurt and she wanted to think that it had something to do with _her_ , she didn't think that was the case. At the very least, she doubted that the manner was so simple.

Jacques Schnee was awake and out of a coma, and apparently had returned home the night before if SchneeCorp's official social media was to be believed. Blake didn't know if it could be, considering that its main purpose was as a place for corporate propaganda.

But Weiss had been silent. Blake had been without stories and without anything that she could put out in the open for publication.

In the end, it felt like a very good thing that she still had Yang and Ruby around, and that she could prepare for the things that were going to be coming out of her job so soon.

She and Adam had both been added to the guest list, courtesy of Klein. That alone had opened doors, and Blake had spent a decent amount of time preparing to make sure that she and Adam would be watched. Her place on the job was going to be making sure that Adam didn't get out of hand.

In exchange, Klein was going to do what he could to keep her from getting into any more trouble than she wanted to be.

Blake had collected a dress, and she had prepared everything that she would need to go to the benefit. It was a thing that she wasn't going to be able to take her bike to, but Adam insisted that the two of them could get there on their own. Getting back after was going to be a problem, but...

But it was something that Blake was prepared for. It something went too wrong, she could call a cab and get home that way. If it went well, she could possibly get a ride back home from Klein.

It was the middle of the night, two nights before the benefit when Weiss called her.

Blake went outside to her motorcycle, climbed on, and began to drive across the city so that she could pick up Weiss by the side of the road.

Weiss was there waiting for her, but she was dressed in dark colors and wearing a hood over her head so that she could blend into the area instead of drawing attention. She was hard to see from first glance, and that alone set off alarms in Blake's mind.

She didn't say anything to Weiss, just let the woman climb onto the back of her bike, and then the two of them were heading back into the city.

Blake brought them to her and Yang's apartment, because that was a safe place for them to sit down and talk without risking catching attention from anyone that was around them. That was all that Blake needed, and she was sure that Weiss didn't want to be put into a position where she had to be worried about appearances either.

Once they were alone and Weiss was sitting on Blake's bed, one of them finally went ahead and spoke up.

"Thank you for coming." Weiss said, looking up at Blake with her pale blue eyes wide and soft. "I couldn't stand being there anymore."

"I figured." Blake said, taking a seat next to Weiss on the bed herself. She wanted to lean back and make herself comfortable, but Weiss just sat there stiffly and with her expression strange and her eyes turned away. "Do you... want to talk about things?"

"Of course I do." Weiss replied, still quiet. "Things are just..." She shook her head. "My father tends to make it impossible to be there by virtue of just being himself."

Blake nodded, wishing that she knew what she was supposed to say to that. She knew that Adam tended to make it feel as though she had all of the life and goodness sucked out of her being. In a way, that he would not be related to her was a luxury she couldn't have been more thankful for.

"You know that you can come here any time that you need." Blake offered. "I know that it might not be easy for you to come but..." She shrugged, locking her eyes with Weiss' once more. "You're always welcome here."

Weiss nodded, and she smiled, but the look was too soft and weak to be genuine. She shook her head, like there was something she needed to physically get out of her head.

Blake didn't like it at all. She slipped her hand over to Weiss' and let it settle on top of the heiress'. Underneath her hand, Weiss shifted herself so that they could wind their fingers together. Blake ran the side of her thumb over Weiss' knuckles, hopeful that it would offer some sort of comfort.

"I don't know what is going to happen." Weiss whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "Now that he's up again and home I don't know that I can-" She swallowed visibly, and Blake wished that she could have done anything to take that pain and that worry away from Weiss.

The two of them sat, Blake not moving in to try and offer anything too much. This felt like something that she needed to let Weiss just go ahead and say. She couldn't let herself smother Weiss, not now.

"I want to go back to Vale." Weiss finally managed to get the words out. "But I don't want to leave the people here in Atlas that I do care about behind."

"Weiss-"

"I mean it." Weiss cut her off, shaking her head again. She blinked several times, leaving droplets of tears on her lashes that caught the light. "I care about you, and Ruby, and Yang, and I don't want to leave any of you behind."

She took in a deep, shuddering breath. "But being here makes me feel so _awful_."

"You know that nobody wants you to stay here if it's making you feel this bad." Blake said, keeping her voice quiet and soft for Weiss' sake.

"But my family is here." Weiss whispered. "And you. I don't even want to leave behind my brother even though he and I don't get along. Atlas is my home, I just wish that it actually felt like home."

"I understand." Blake said, looking away from Weiss and taking in a deep breath. It was possible that she had things that she could have gone ahead and said herself. "Why don't I tell you about home?"

Weiss picked her head up and looked over at Blake, and she looked surprised and confused. Weiss gently wiped her tears away, while Blake gently pat the bed beside her. Weiss slipped in closer to her, and Blake reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulder to make her more comfortable.

"You've never told me about your family." Weiss mumbled.

"I know." Blake replied, taking in a deep breath before launching into her story. "I left Kuo Kuana because I thought that I would be able to make a better life here in Atlas for myself." She smiled slightly, thinking back to her family. "I've been given offers to do work out in Kuo Kuana. I keep on choosing to stay in Atlas because I feel like I need to stay away from my family."

"Are they like... my family?" Weiss asked. "Or..."

"They aren't." Blake said calmly. "I stay away because I feel like I need the space. Not because they are bad, but because I feel like I can do more when I'm here on my own."

Blake didn't know whether or not she was doing anything to make this conversation easier, but it was also that she could do so she was going to do what she could to play along and keep on going. "You have much better reasons to leave here than I did for leaving home."

"I don't know that I do, though." Weiss sighed. "They're my family. You made the choice to leave because it was what you wanted to do. I left for Vale because I needed to run away from it all and couldn't deal with being around them anymore."

"And you think that I didn't try to run away from home either?" Blake asked, blinking and cocking her head to the side just slightly. "It's a lot more complicated than you think. But the point is just that... you don't have to stay here. You can just go and leave your family to take care of yourself."

Weiss shook her head. "And what if I go and I leave the rest of the people that I do care about behind?" She took in a deep breath. "I came back from Vale and almost immediately realized that I don't know that my family wanted me back. I don't think that they would have wanted Winter back if she tried to come home."

"Weiss..."

"Blake-" Weiss said, holding her head up high like she needed to be able to place herself on a higher level than Blake was. "I don't feel like I can leave Atlas right now. But I _want_ to."

"I understand." Blake sighed, standing up so that she could approach Weiss personally. She reached out for the heiress, gently clutching the woman by the hand. She wanted to go ahead and tug Weiss back in a little bit, but that also didn't feel like it was going to be possible. "But I just want for you to know that if you decide that you want to go back to Vale, I support you."

Weiss nodded, but she didn't look like she was surprised by it at all. She let out a sigh. "I know." She mumbled. "I want to ask about what about us, but-"

"I'm willing to make it work." Blake said calmly, because it was true. It wouldn't have been her first time in a long distance relationship. It wouldn't have been her first time dealing with it all. "If you're willing to try and make our relationship work from long distance, then I am too."

Weiss frowned a little bit, looking like she wanted to pull herself together but also not wanting to go too far with it. Blake got the rather distinct feeling that Weiss was trying to hide some of her emotions, but she couldn't say for whose sake that would have been. It could have been good for Weiss to try and do that, but for Blake she couldn't be sure.

She nodded though, and she took a step back in towards Blake Weiss folded her arms in on herself, and Blake wrapped her arms about Weiss' body. She didn't usually realize just how much taller she was than Weiss, but in that moment it felt painfully obvious. Largely because Weiss wasn't wearing heels at the moment.

Blake let her head rest on top of Weiss', their cheeks brushing together and their hair falling side by side. "I mean it." She said, just loud enough so that she could be sure that Weiss would be able to hear it from her. "If you want to keep on doing what we've been doing, and try for more, then I'm willing to do that with you."

"Thank you." Weiss said, her voice still down. "You're... pretty amazing, Blake. I feel like I haven't told you that enough."

"You're amazing too." Blake mumbled back. "And I'm not going to let you get left behind. I mean it. If you want to make our relationship work, then we will. I'm not afraid to fight for it."

"I am though." Weiss whispered, just loudly enough that it met Blake's ears.

Blake felt her stomach churn at the thought.

It was terrifying to think about. Things were only going...

She didn't know. She wished that she did.

Blake and Weiss stood together there for a little too long, both of them simply looking for the best comfort in the other's touch. Weiss pulled in a shuddering breath, and when Weiss moved to pull away from her, Blake allowed for it.

Weiss took the few steps over towards the bed before seating herself down there. She had a bag which she'd set down next to it when she'd arrived, and Blake hadn't asked about it. She had a feeling that she knew what it was there for, but she didn't want to bring it up just yet.

She seated herself beside Weiss and allowed herself to relax back into her own seat. Weiss wedged herself in close to Blake. After a moment's hesitation, Blake wrapped her arm around Weiss' shoulder to pull her in a little bit closer.

"I think I might be hungry." Weiss said, her voice quiet and her eyes downcast. "I haven't gotten a chance to eat anything today really. There was too much going on."

Blake blinked, a little taken by surprise. She needed a chance to think about what she could do. It would be easy for her to go out and make the two of them something to eat, but Weiss was the type to be able to get by without that. Blake didn't even know if Weiss would want to sit around while one of them cooked. Most likely her instead of Weiss.

"What would you want to eat?" Blake asked, her voice also quiet. She knew that Yang was home and Blake really didn't want to deal with the interruptions for the moment. "Because we could order something, or I could try to make us something."

"I... don't really know." Weiss said, smiling softly. "I mostly know that I'm definitely not in the mood to go out right now."

"What about your friends?" Blake asked.

"Neptune and Coco went back to Vale a day or two ago." Weiss said with a frustrated sort of shrug. "They had things to get back to."

"Right." Blake sighed because she couldn't act as though it was something that didn't make sense. It made perfect sense, really. She didn't want to question it all that much though, not when Weiss was clearly upset. She reached over for her phone and picked it up, going over to her list of contacts so that she can call in an order for them. "I'll order something for us."

"Not feeling like cooking?" Weiss asked, almost joking.

"No." Blake replied, smiling just slightly. "Not tonight."

Weiss just shrugged and made herself comfortable while the two of them talked about what their plans for their dinner were going to look like. Blake found that Weiss was surprisingly easy about it, which was something that she still felt a little less than ready for.

In an hour, their food arrived. An hour later, the two of them were curled up together in Blake's bed and watching a movie, neither of them wanting to sleep.

Blake ended up sitting awake for part of the night with Weiss asleep on her shoulder.

All in all, it wasn't that bad.

* * *

The last thing that Weiss wanted to hear on any day was the too loud blaring ring of her phone at her bedside waking her up. She blinked drearily, pushed herself up so that she was half sitting, and gave the powder blue phone what could only be described as a death glare. A death glare that it wouldn't be able to see because it was an inanimate object.

Right.

Blake sat up a little bit too, also seeming just as annoyed by it. The two of them exchanged a word or two before Weiss was reaching across Blake to grab the phone and bring it to her ear. When she saw the name on the caller ID, she couldn't help but roll her eyes in very real annoyance.

"What do you want, Whitley?" Weiss all but snapped to her brother as soon as she was on the phone.

There was a sharp inhale of breath on the other end before Whitley spoke up.

"I needed to speak to you." He said, his voice surprisingly calm. Weiss glanced over towards Blake, who was at least sitting up now and pulling a blanket back over herself because warmth was something to treasure. It was a sentiment that Weiss could agree on as she pulled the blanket over her legs a little bit better.

"What could you possibly need me for at-" Weiss stole a look at the clock next to Blake's bed. Ten in the morning. Apparently the two of them had slept in, and Weiss hadn't even begun to realize it. "What do you need me for?" She asked instead, calming her tone so that she wouldn't risk seeming out of line or too high strung to her brother.

He grumbled something that Weiss wasn't able to make out. "I was going to request that you come along to SchneeCorp headquarters with me this evening." Whitley said plainly. "The hospital benefit is coming rather quickly, and it would be appropriate for you to be there to go over some of the plans around it."

Weiss rolled her eyes and winced because she knew exactly what she was going to be asked to do. It was nothing that she wanted to be involved with, but if her brother wanted her there it was surely for a reason. A part of Weiss couldn't help but wonder whether or not Whitley had been thrown into the deep end with arranging the whole ordeal with minimal amounts of help.

But, Weiss also thought, it was a good chance for her to go in and trying to plan lines of defense against whatever Blake's old partner was planning to do. She took a breath before giving an answer. "I'll be sure to be there." Weiss said quietly. "What time?"

"This evening, roughly six." Whitley responded calmly. "I'll be sure to see you there, sister."

"Thank you, Whitley." Weiss said, hanging up only once she knew that it was safe.

She was glad that her brother hadn't brought up that she hadn't been home the night before.

It was blissfully quiet, for just a moment, but that wasn't enough to distract Weiss away from how hard her heart was beating against her chest, or from the nervous worry that was already that was beginning to course through her veins. She stared at her phone as its screen went dark again, trying to find words to say to the woman at her side.

She was lucky that Whitley hadn't said anything. She was so, so lucky that Whitley hadn't said anything about her not being there. She was lucky that Whitley didn't know about her and Blake. She was lucky that she wasn't going to have to worry about that being a topic of discussion later on.

"Weiss?" Blake asked from her spot on the bed, having now sat up. Her hair was mussed and flying in just about every direction, but it didn't do anything to take away from her looks. She blinked, staring Weiss down with her amber eyes that somehow managed to be both cold and warm at the same time.

"I think that I have to go." Weiss said, her voice coming out more quiet than she would have ever wanted for it to. "I've been asked to head to SchneeCorp's headquarters to... prepare to make an appearance at the benefit."

She already knew that she was going to have to go back to the mansion and prepare. She'd need to get suitable clothing for a public appearance, and she'd definitely need to shower and make herself look like she was actually ready to be there or at the very least actually wanted to be there. And that was something which was much easier said than done.

"Are you going to need a ride?" Blake asked. She climbed out of bed and stretched her arms over her head, her entire body arching into the movement as she made herself more comfortable. Weiss watched her, unable to think of anything other than a stretching cat in that moment.

"I don't know yet." Weiss answered with a sigh. "I will have to check in with Klein-"

"Right." Blake said. She was already padding her way over to her dresser to remove a set of clothing for the day. Weiss took in a deep breath as though she were steeling herself and climbed out of bed. She walked over to the space where she'd left her bag and opened it up, removing the little that she had brought along with her for the overnight stay.

Clothing, good socks, her own toothpaste and toothbrush. She was going to need a chance to shower if she was going to be going to SchneeCorp's headquarters for what she could only guess would be a meeting with a great deal of scrutiny in her direction. She didn't know if her father would be there, and that alone raised alarms in Weiss' head. She needed to do her absolute best to be perfect, and that was going to be impossible for her to actually achieve.

This was going to be an awful day.

"Blake-" Weiss said, taking a breath and looking back at the other woman over her shoulder as she got some sort of idea. "I'm going to be at SchneeCorp, is there anything that you need for me to do for you?"

Blake blinked, and she looked a little bit surprised. She set the t-shirt that she'd picked out on her bed before walking over to her desk and beginning to rifle through some of the notes that were there. She found a sheet of paper and held it out in front of her, clearly reading it over.

Wordlessly, she turned and Weiss watched along as Blake scratched down a set of notes. They were handed off and Weiss gave them a read over or two. It wasn't going to be anything that would be too difficult for her to get, and that was something that Weiss could deal with.

She smiled.

"I'll do my best." She said quietly before walking across the room. She gently grasped Blake's hand and tugged the other woman in. "You have my word."

Blake stepped into her grasp, and Weiss had to stand up on the tips of her toes. She let her hands move up to her girlfriend's face to gently cup her cheeks before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. It would hopefully be a good luck charm of sorts for at least one of them that day, Weiss hoped. She wasn't sure that she was confident that it would work out as such, but she could hope.

The two of them lingered there, Blake's hands making their way down to settle on Weiss' hips. It was a pleasant feeling, and Weiss was sure that it was going to stick in her head all day. Once she was ready though, Weiss stepped away and finished preparing to go before making a call to Klein to make sure that she could get back to the mansion in a way which wouldn't raise any suspicions.

He gave his affirmative, so Weiss took a shower, knowing that she would have to be out the door in an hour roughly. Blake made breakfast while she cleaned up, and the two of them were able to share a small meal before Weiss was out the door and on her way back to her father's mansion to get ready. Klein didn't ask any questions, but he wasn't the one that Weiss was the most worried about that day.

She dressed herself as quickly as she could so that she could make a formal appearance, and once she was finally prepared she was on her way to meet with Whitley.

It was a drive across Atlas, but it was a long, frustrating one, which only managed to make Weiss more and more nervous about what was to come because she knew her father, and she knew her brother. She wasn't familiar with SchneeCorp's board of directors, but she could be sure that its members wouldn't be too far off from what she already dealt with in her father and brother.

SchneeCorp's World Headquarters, for all of its flaws, was an incredibly beautiful building. It was one of the taller skyscrapers in Atlas, always clean and gleaming in the sun. When it had been conceived, there had been a choice to make it almost look like a lighthouse in its design, as the offices on the highest floor were given a bit of extra space over the ones underneath them. The story was that it had been designed in that way because it made it a more literal beacon of progress.

SchneeCorp had its many flaws, but that was one thing that Weiss did believe, despite those problems. SchneeCorp had been there when the world had needed it, they had been the ones to bring new technologies for anyone that was willing to pay the money. They'd dabbled in just about every industry at some point, and always SchneeCorp was making an attempt for improvement.

If only that was a drive which could follow through to the treatment of their employees, Weiss thought bitterly. If that were the case, then Blake would have never felt the need to infiltrate a factory to get a story. If that were the case, then Blake might have even been out of business. She could have been writing something else, whatever she wanted. If only the opportunities had been there.

Weiss took a deep breath for steel herself for what was ahead of her, bowed her head slightly, and went in through the front door to the headquarters.

The woman at the front saw her and almost immediately snapped to attention. Weiss put on a softer smile than she normally needed to use with these sorts of situations and went up to the desk, placing her hands on the edge of it. "Excuse me."

"Hello, Miss Schnee!" The woman behind the desk chirped in a forced cheerful tone. "Are you here to see your father?"

"I was called here to meet with my brother Whitley." Weiss explained. "Could you please let him know that I am here and on my way?"

"Of course." The woman responded, swivelling in her chair to face her phone. "You can head up. I believe he was in the offices on the-"

"The top floor." Weiss finished for the woman. "Thank you."

Wordlessly, Weiss went to the elevator, and prepared for what was going to come next.


	24. exit strategies

Jacques Schnee's office at SchneeCorp company headquarters was many things in Weiss' eyes. It was too large for any one person to use, its size mostly a sign of obvious opulence. It was kept too clean so that it almost always looked like nobody ever used the room. It always seemed to manage to be full of work that needed to be done, while also managing to be devoid of it at the same time once everything had been pushed off to subordinates.

It was cold and lacking in anything which could have made it feel like a place where people would gather. For that reason, it was the ideal meeting place for anything which involved the family. For Weiss, when she'd been young it had been a place to go to and when she got there, her entire life became about standing up straight and appearing like the perfect daughter. Her role became to sit still, look pretty, and most importantly be seen but never heard.

Weiss knocked on the door, hopeful for any sign that she would be allowed inside. The first sign that she was came as a mumble from Whitley on the other side of the door. Weiss pushed the door open and closed it behind her before giving a little curtsey to ensure that she hadn't forgotten her manners.

"Hello, sister." Whitley greeted her. "Thank you for coming."

"It was no problem." Weiss said. She stood up tall and walked across the room to take a seat at the tiny coffee table beside her brother. The space on the couch had been left open for her, while the various members of the board were discussing something which sounded a lot more like gossip than like work. It was almost typical of them.

Whitley nodded and reached for his phone, checking his messages on it. "As of now," he began, keeping his voice low. "You are going to be the main female representative of the Schnee family at the benefit."

Weiss' heart sank, because she _knew_ that her night had just gotten much more difficult. "I understand." She murmured. "I wasn't exactly expecting for mother to come."

"Neither was I, admittedly." Whitley said, frowning. "But I suppose that it's for the best that she doesn't attend with all things considered."

Weiss truly wished that she could have disagreed on that point. She wished that she could believe that her mother would come out, and that she wouldn't come out simply to embarrass their father. That had been a problem several times over when they'd been young. Too many times, Winter, Whitley, and herself had been placed at the center of a power struggle they'd wanted nothing to do with.

"Right." Weiss said, her mind already racing because she knew that there were some things that she were going to need to do. If her family was truly under the impression that she and Neptune were dating, then she was probably going to be expected to bring him along. It would be a form of social posturing of course, but very much nothing that Weiss wanted to deal with. Not when she had Blake in the picture, whether that was a known factor or not. "I'll be sure to prepare for a long night."

There was a quiet murmuring, and Weiss picked her head up to watch as the door opened. Her spine straightened immediately, and she and Whitley both got up in unison to prepare for what was going to happen. Similarly, the members of the board had rearranged how they were standing, all of them prepared for the final person involved in their meeting to come in.

The door finished opening all the way, and her father stepped into the room, leaning on a cane as he did so.

Weiss dropped into a curtsey, and her brother bowed at her side.

As usual, their father said nothing and made his way across the room so that he could settle at his desk. Once he was comfortable- which was signified by the way that he leaned forward and rested his fingertips together in a peak in front of him, only then, would anyone speak.

"Good morning, gentlemen." He said, his voice stronger than it had been the last time that Weiss had seen him. He looked healthier in general, but that still wasn't much more than he had been in the hospital. "I see that you have all made the choice to make yourselves at home."

One of the board members spoke up and said something, but was brushed off just as quickly with a wave of Jacques' hand. "Whitley." He said, and Weiss saw her brother's back straighten a little bit more, and his expression getting schooled into something that was almost eerily calm.

Whitley briefly straightened his tie before taking a step forward towards their father. "Yes, father?" He asked, keeping his voice calm and cool, in a certain sort of practiced way which intentionally pushed down whatever it was that he was feeling.

"I see that you took the liberty of inviting an audience here." Jacques said, but there was a venom to his voice that Weiss couldn't ignore. "So I expect that you haven't come here to waste my time."

Weiss watched her brother as carefully as she could, looking for any sign that she could use in the future. All that she got was the rather clear tensing in his shoulders, which only lasted for a moment. "I have invited everyone here in preparation for the fundraiser."

"And this _fundraiser_ will be funding?" Jacques asked, his voice low and almost snarling. "I don't want to be wasting my time on some nonsense."

"The proceeds will go to Atlas General Hospital." Whitley explained. "It could be expected that they will be naming a wing in your honor." He didn't so much as twitch a muscle or allow himself to move away from where he was standing. Weiss was actually surprised by it, because it seemed like her brother was going to be making a rather genuine effort towards standing his ground. Which wasn't what she'd been expecting necessarily. As a final statement and attempt at convincing, he added: "It would also be considered a charitable donation which could be written off on company taxes."

But the answer seemed to be good enough for Jacques, who calmed down a little bit and shifted in his seat as though he were crossing one leg over the other. "Then I suspect that everything is already in order?"

"Yes, father." Whitley said, reaching into his pocket for his phone. He took a second to unlock it before flipping over to a list of the preparations that he'd made. "Mother will not be attending, but I figure that is for the best. Members of your board will be there and many will be prepared to speak, and the guest list is extensive."

"Extensive, you say?" Jacques asked. "Am I to believe that these guests of yours are getting in for free?"

"On the contrary." Whitley replied. "There was a cover fee arranged before anyone could attend. I have used some of your contacts to ensure that there will be an auction for some pieces of art which will also help with the fundraising. The guest list is full of your business partners and other members of Atlas' social elite."

"I see." Jacques said, and he reached for a small notepad and scribbled something down onto it for himself. Whatever it was, Weiss was certainly curious, but she didn't think that it was a good idea for her to go and attempt to pry into the matter at all. "I will allow you to do this, boy-" He started, but just as quickly his voice sank into something that only read as threatening. "But should you disappoint me, I will not hesitate to remove you from a position where you can do it again."

"Of course, father." Whitley said, but Weiss caught the way that his eyes flicked down to the floor to a moment. "I will do my best."

"Good." Jacques growled before looking around the room. For Weiss, it felt like he didn't even care that she was there. She had been expecting to be left in a position where she would get cold shouldered, but the amount of silence towards her was... unnerving. "Now get out of my office, all of you."

"Of course, sir." One of the board members said before bowing and leaving the room. That left Weiss and Whitley alone with their father for just a moment.

He looked between the two of them and frowned before waving them out. On the way out, Weiss and Whitley both bowed before leaving the office, Whitley closing the door silently behind the two of them.

"Weiss-" Whitley started, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for coming."

"It was really no problem." She whispered back to her brother.

Whitley nodded and reached out for Weiss, offering his arm to her in a way that was meant to be considered gentlemanly. Weiss took it, because it was the proper thing to do, and then the two of them began on the way down to the area where the benefit was actually planned to happen.

"Is he always like that to you?" Weiss asked, sure to keep her voice down because she really didn't want to bring too much attention onto herself and Whitley. Not if they were going to be talking about their brother at all.

"Not always." Whitley answered, his expression still carefully blank like their father was still there. "I suspect he's never been like this with you?"

"He has been." Weiss replied, her voice quiet. "And to Winter too. I always assumed that you didn't get him like… that."

"Then it's good to know that there is something which has always been the same." Whitley said, frowning a little bit. "For the fundraiser, I don't expect that you and I will have much to do other than greeting the many guests."

"That's good to know." Weiss said, already filing information away in to the back of her mind. She was going to have to make sure to connect to Blake at whatever chance she got to make sure that they were on clear ground together. "I figure that it'll be enough of a success that nothing goes too wrong."

"That would be the hope." Whitley sighed, shaking his head. "Somehow I doubt that father will be happy with it."

Weiss blinked and she took a breath. She gave Whitley's arm a slight squeeze, just enough to be sure to reassure him. After all, to some degree the two of them were stuck in this together and Weiss didn't want him feeling left out in the cold. Even if he was to some degree, Weiss couldn't have Whitley feeling that way.

At the end of the day, no matter how she felt towards her brother and about his actions, Weiss did want to look out for Whitley. In the same way that her sister had looked out for her when they'd been young.

"It'll go well." Weiss sighed as the two of them walked down into the room.

When the building had been constructed years before, the choice to have a space created that could be used for large gatherings had seemed like a bit _much_. It had felt presumptuous on their father's part, but he had wanted to be able to host large groups of guests even then. If they were able to do that in a setting such as a large hall which served as a centerpiece for visitors of the company to congregate in on normal days, then that was just as good.

After all, it placed him closer to his work, and Weiss knew that there was nothing that her father cared for more than his work.

"If you say so." Whitley said. He pulled his arm away from Weiss', and she responded in kind by bringing her hands together behind her back and following Whitley closer in. Klein was there in the conference hall, looking bored but also rather busy.

He caught sight of her, while Whitley went off to speak to someone that was working on moving a few tables.

Klein placed himself at Weiss' side, keeping his voice down the entire time.

"Your companion will be able to get in." He said, voice barely above a whisper. "Of course, her partner that we are concerned with will be as well."

"Thank you." Weiss whispered back to Klein, keeping a careful eye on Whitley. "That's all that we can really do if we are hoping to make this all work out."

"Of course." Klein sighed. "I will be sure to keep a close eye on Taurus and Blake both."

"You aren't going to need to watch her." Weiss said, and she knew that she was probably getting a bit defensive. "Blake isn't coming here to cause trouble, you know that. She's trying to watch him."

"I am well aware of that," Klein said, but his face said much more than his voice did. "I will be doing what I can to watch the situation regardless."

Weiss wished that would have been enough to make her feel a little bit more at ease with the situation, but that wasn't the case. That wasn't going to be how things worked out.

She looked down at the ground, thinking on what she was supposed to do if it was going to be here with everyone else there in the room anyways. If there was a gathering, then Weiss had her doubts that it would be a chance for her to slip away and find some of the things that Blake had asked her about.

The most important had been clear paths in and out of the building. That was something which Weiss was willing to provide, but she was afraid that she didn't know her way around the SchneeCorp headquarters quite as well as she used to.

And it was different these days anyhow- when she'd been young and coming there on a more regular basis Weiss had never been allowed to slip away from her father's sight long enough to explore. That meant that if she was going to get anything for Blake, she needed to be sneaky about it.

"Klein-" Weiss said, locking her eyes with the butler's. "I think that I might require your assistance with something."

Klein raised an eyebrow in obvious interest. "Care to explain, Miss Schnee?"

Weiss glanced away from him, just long enough to double check that they didn't have anyone listening in on them. Once she was ready, Weiss began her explanation.

"I think that I need to get coffee, but I don't know the way around the building." Weiss said the words almost slowly, and Klein nodded, clearly understanding that she was asking to be able to get him alone.

"Very well." Klein replied. "Right this way."

Klein led her away from the hall, and once there was what Weiss could consider to be a sufficient enough amount of space from the others, and it was very clear that the two of them wouldn't be overheard, she began to talk to Klein. She was going to need him on her side if they were going to get so much as anything done.

"Klein." She said, now that the two of them were alone. "Blake and I were talking earlier. And she had some things that she wanted me to get for her before the benefit could happen."

Klein blinked, and he looked genuinely surprised. He let out a quiet sigh and nodded. "Very well," he started, voice as calm as ever. "What does she need for you to get?"

Weiss reached into her bag and had to fish around in it for a little bit so that she could find her phone. She removed it a moment later and brought up the small list of things that Blake had asked about. It was nothing that she'd thought would be a serious problem, and Weiss could trust Klein with it.

He took it and reached into his breast pocket to retrieve a pair of reading glasses which he put on wordlessly. He read over the list, raising an eyebrow at one or two of the items before passing it back to Weiss. "If you could try to make sure to get me a copy for myself, it would be wonderful."

"Of course." Weiss replied, already preparing to copy and paste the list into a message to Klein. "Do you think that what she's asking for will be possible?"

"I don't exactly know why she is so worried about escape plans." Klein said, and Weiss figured that was something that she probably should have been able to expand on herself, but it didn't seem that it would be that simple. "She really is expecting for Adam to try something?"

Weiss nodded. "The concern was that he would try and do something to derail the event." She said calmly. "And while I'm not exactly the... fondest of it, or how it's been run, I don't think that we need for someone to go poking around in SchneeCorp bookkeeping in the hopes that he can ruin us."

"What specifically was he planning to look after?" Klein asked, his voice kept low in volume.

"Blake said that he thought that the company was cooking books with regards to the charity, but-" She took a deep breath, because this was a complicated issue. The truth was that Weiss didn't know whether or not her father would actually do something like that. She couldn't see Whitley trying it, but Whitley wasn't the one that she needed to worry about with this matter. Of course, if things went poorly, then life would be made hell for her brother. And then for her, with all likelihood. "But I don't think that the concern will be what the truth is."

"Miss Schnee?"

"Klein-" Weiss took a breath, and for the first time since their conversation had started she allowed herself to wrap her arms around herself. It wasn't a hug, and it did very little to comfort her on any level, but it was also all that Weiss was going to matter. "I need for you to help me, because I can't-"

Klein slipped into the space at Weiss' space and reached out, tugging her in towards him as gently as he could manage. She closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath before resting her head on Klein's shoulder. There he was, real and solid as ever, still a better father than the real thing ever would have been.

"I need to know that me, and my brother, and my sister will be okay." She whispered to him, feeling like she was choking the words out for Klein to hear. "And I need to know that I can do whatever I can to maintain that. Father is... You know how he is. And I don't want to know what will happen if something happens again."

"Weiss," Klein said, pulling back and brushing her hair away from her face. "You know that I won't blame you if you decide you need to go back to Vale."

"I know." Weiss mumbled. "But I still need to know that my family won't be broken more because of this."

The frown that tugged at Klein's expression was hard for Weiss to miss, and while she really didn't want for things to go badly for her, or for Blake, or for anyone really, Weiss knew that she was asking for a lot. If things went poorly, and Klein was found to have some sort of involvement-

Well, Weiss didn't have to imagine that she or her family would be the only ones getting hurt.

"I understand, Miss Schnee." Klein said, keeping his voice even. "We'll do what we can to get you the things that you and miss Belladonna need."

He nodded down the hallway, and Weiss followed after him, realizing that he was taking her through some back passage. It was a pathway which only the general maintenance employees would use, but Weiss supposed that Klein probably used those paths to avoid being seen while serving her father.

"Thank you." Weiss said as she stepped into the elevator with Klein. "I think that once this is over with, we might be out of your hair though."

Klein nodded. "You know that I will miss you regardless, Weiss." He said, looking straight ahead instead of at Weiss. He was sure to have his own reasons for what they were doing. "And that if you choose to go back to Vale, then I won't be upset over it."

"People keep on saying that." Weiss sighed. "But I don't know that I want to leave, really. Not with-"

"Weiss." Klein cut her off, and Weiss struggled to remember so much as a single time where he had done so. Always, when she'd been young, and even now, he never had done that. Klein had been the one person that she could always rely on to allow her to talk and say the things that she needed to say.

It caught her by surprise. Weiss clamped her mouth shut because if Klein had done that, she couldn't have imagined that he didn't have a good reason.

Once he was sure that he had her attention, he kept on talking. "I simply want to see you happy. Being here in Atlas doesn't do that for you, and I understand that." He turned his head now, locking his eyes with Weiss'. "Don't you ever think that I would resent you for needing to go back to Vale."

Weiss closed her eyes and nodded. "Thank you."

Klein kept an eye on her and smiled softly. "I merely wish for you to be able to be happy, Weiss. That's all."

She nodded, and felt impossibly heavy because of it. The offer was there- Klein would be likely to bring her to the airport, and if she ever needed to come home again, then Klein would be there. That was something that Weiss knew she could always believe and trust in.

He was the best family she had, even if they didn't share so much as a drop of blood.

He'd always been there, since she'd been little. He'd never left.

"I don't know where I will go after this." Weiss sighed. "Father is up and awake, so I don't really have a reason to stay anymore. Whitley is getting the company so I suppose that I am not going to be needed here for that either. The only thing really making me want to stay here is-" She shook her head, not wanting to think back to the few nights before, where she and Blake had talked about this same issue.

Blake had been supportive.

Somehow saying it out loud to Klein that she wanted to stay for Blake felt like a bit much.

"I can't be myself here, Klein."

"I know." Klein replied, the door letting out a quiet ring to let them know that they had reached the right floor of the building. The two of them stepped out of the elevator, and Weiss watched as Klein checked the watch on his wrist, looking for something. "And that's why you should consider leaving if you feel it's appropriate."

"Right." Weiss sighed as Klein led her down the hallways towards their destination. He walked her until they were standing by what was obviously a security room. Klein stood up tall and fixed his tie before signaling for Weiss to stay there at the door.

He slipped into the room wordlessly. From where she was, Weiss was able to overhear Klein laying on a lie that would be able to get him what Weiss had asked of him. He was clever, much more than she had ever given him credit for.

She would miss him, Weiss thought. That much was obvious. She would definitely miss him.

Minutes later, Klein stepped back out of the room and looked at Weiss before nodding. The two of them started on their way back to the elevator, but Klein stopped her in a specific spot before handing off a folder that he'd gotten.

Weiss looked up at him in surprise and opened it, seeing that Klein had gotten her blueprints of the building. It wasn't exactly what Blake had asked for, but it was definitely going to be able to do the trick.

She stashed the folder away in her bag and then once that was done, Klein and Weiss continued on their way. When they did, and Weiss looked back, she realized exactly why Klein had stopped the two of them where they had.

It was a blind spot in the cameras.

The cameras were probably going to be a problem for Blake, Weiss thought. Or they would be a problem for Adam, depending on how things ended up going. She and Klein were going to need to come up with some sort of strategy for dealing with that. Preferably before they had to pull Blake out of trouble themselves.

The elevator door closed behind them.

"Klein." Weiss started, looking over at him. "What is the security supposed to look like for the benefit?"

"I would expect for there to be amped up security." Klein smiled, saying it like it was a good matter of facts for them. "Mostly in the form of guards, but there will also likely be more people watching cameras than there would be normally."

"So how are we going to deal with Blake and Adam getting around?" Weiss asked, turning to face Klein directly. "I don't know that we have the influence to be able to stop Blake from getting into trouble, when-"

"When your plan is to get Adam removed as a threat?" Klein asked. He locked his attention to Weiss now, but also clearly checking the door over her shoulder to ensure that they won't be overheard. "I will do what I can to pull strings from the background, but-"

"But you can't do it alone." Weiss sighed. "Perhaps if I-"

The idea was a bad one. She didn't want to risk putting herself in a situation like that, where she would potentially make things worse.

"What if I managed to find a way to act as a sort of escort for Blake?" Weiss asked, blinking and looking up to Klein. "Or I can find a way to keep the attention off of her while everything else happens?"

Klein's eyes widened in surprise. He swallowed, clearly unsure of what he was meant to do or say to Weiss at that point. She didn't allow herself to shrink back, and she didn't allow herself to waver.

For the first time, she thought that she might have figured out what her actual role in all of this was.

Her job was to be there and watch Blake's back. If she needed to be there to also work to implicate Adam or make things worse for him, then Weiss was willing to do that. She knew more than enough to ensure that she would feel no guilt for it.

That she was certain of.

"Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" Klein asked, sadness tinting his voice.

"I am." Weiss confirmed, still holding her head high and not moving away. "I think this is the best thing that I can do, Klein."

"Very well, miss Schnee. I will do what I can to help you."

"Thank you, Klein."


	25. planning ahead

Going to Adam's apartment always ended up feeling like she was throwing herself into a lion's den. Even knowing that she wouldn't be there alone with him, Blake was worried for what was going to come. The presence of Ilia, or Sienna Khan, or the Albain Twins wasn't going to be able to save her entirely from what was to come that day. Adam was able to put her off of her game by just looking at her most of the time.

If she was going to have the whole thing go well for her, she needed to be prepared for anything. She couldn't _afford_ for Adam to throw her off of her game.

In truth, it had been quite some time since Blake had last ended up at Adam's place. She hadn't wanted to go there at all, but since work called and she was going to need to be able to play along with things anyways, Blake had made the decision to go.

The apartment was like she remembered it, severe color pallette intact and the furniture all in the same places as they had been when she'd been living there. It was still kept starkly clean- not so much of a single sign allowed to be there that people actually might have lived there. It seemed like Adam was living there alone, which was odd to Blake since before she and him had partially lived together to save on rent. He must have gotten extra money somewhere to help pay for it.

It left her with a _lot_ of questions, and Blake didn't know that she wanted answers to any of them.

She had gotten Ilia to agree to carpool with her. Somehow that had felt safer to Blake than bringing her bike. Ilia didn't seem worried about what was to come at all, despite knowing enough about how Adam could be. Perhaps it was because she had always managed to avoid Adam's wrath when Blake hadn't been able to. Instead she'd spent most of the ride there telling Blake about who else would be there.

It had been a long time since Blake had last spent time around so many people attached to The Fang. She didn't really know how to feel about it.

But they were there, gathered in Adam's apartment with a map of the SchneeCorp headquarters there on the table in Adam's kitchen. Blake didn't know where they'd gotten the map, because it definitely didn't look that much like the one that she had gotten off of Weiss. If anything, the version that Weiss had gotten was simply much more detailed. One of the perks of being part of the family, Blake figured.

"The Schnee family's little fundraiser is in two days." Adam explained, leaning back in his seat and making himself comfortable there. He had one leg crossed over the other in a way that made it so that he took up as much space as he wanted to. "Me and Blake are going to be going in. We're hoping to play along like we're on the guest list."

"Good." Sienna replied. Blake couldn't even remember the last time that she had seen the woman. She knew that Sienna had worked with her father once, very far in the past but not much beyond that. Her father always made a point to let his history with The Fang lie and focus on the future and a legitimate political career.

Once, Blake had admired Sienna. Once Sienna had been a voice for people, someone that had once worked a legitimate reporting job. Something had happened to make Sienna want to leave that life, and The Fang had been created as a result.

"We're going to be going in formal wear, aren't we Blake?" Adam looked at her and grinned, that harsh smile of his that Blake was entirely too used to and yet hated all the same.

"Of course." Blake said, doing her best not to come off as too wooden. "I've already arranged something, personally."

Sienna nodded, swirling the glass of wine that she'd gotten for herself. "And you are sure that you will be able to get into this without trouble?" She seemed skeptical about the story, if the purse of her lips was any indicator.. "Because as much as I would love to be the ones to break this story, I'm not doing it if it's going to compromise my publication."

"It's not going to." Adam responded. "We got our names onto the list. Or at least fake ones."

"We'll be going using fake names." Blake cut in, needing to be able to take control somehow. She and Adam were at least in agreement on how they'd be making their way in. Not that Adam knew all of the details of it.

"Good." Sienna replied. "You need to have a plan for once you get there, you know that."

"We do." Blake said, blinking and remembering that she couldn't risk making it clear that she knew people on the inside. She needed to keep as many cards in her pocket as possible, even if it would make her position in the job more difficult.

Sienna nodded then looked to Adam, clearly searching for some better, further explanation. Apparently in the time that the two of them had spent apart, Adam had spent some time setting himself up to be in Sienna's metaphorical lap.

"Can you confirm this?"

"I can." Adam responded, his voice still hard and unwavering as always. "We're going to get in under the names that are on the list, and slip away to get to the offices upstairs later on. Once we get what we want, we are going to take what we need and get out of there."

"And if you get caught?"

"We won't." Adam said, sounding a little too confident. It grated on Blake's nerves, because it told her that she wasn't going to be having an easy time moving forward.

Blake rolled her eyes and locked gazes with Sienna, who raised an eyebrow at her. "If we're caught, we'll pass ourselves off as party guests that wandered a little too far away."

"You think that this will be enough?" Sienna asked, still sounding more than thoroughly unamused by the place that they were in. "Because if it is not-"

"It will be." Blake said this time, doing what she could to imitate Adam's tone because despite everything, and all of her misgivings with him, she knew that he had an uncanny ability to command a room. Blake wished that she had some of that for herself, but that wasn't how things were.

Sienna nodded along, but she raised her drink and pointed at Blake and Adam both, her finger moving between the two of them. "I will trust you two with this story, but if either of you screw this up, I will not hesitate to see you fired. The Fang cannot afford either of you creating a mess with the Schnees. We can't afford litigation from them when this could be easily considered a burglary. Am I understood?"

"Loud and clear." Adam said with a shrug.

"Right." Blake said, shrinking back a little bit. She made herself more comfortable in her seat and took a breath, hoping that she'd be able to slide under the radar for the rest of the meeting.

After that, she listened along as the meeting went on and everyone involved simply sank into it. Apparently Adam had been rallying the troops with regard to the story for some time. Blake didn't know how she felt about that, but she wasn't going to go reading into it too much.

In the end, the meeting ended up feeling more like they were at a simple work meeting rather than one that was impromptu or being held at someone's house. Blake sat back quietly, and listened. She listened as Ilia gave a status update on what she was seeing and working on. She listened to the Albain Twins as they discussed a set of photographs and a story that they were working on that would accompany them.

Ilia sat next to Blake, and during a lull in the quiet Blake caught the way that she gave a slight smile. Blake wanted to smile back but couldn't. Not when she didn't know what Ilia wanted, or what she was supposed to do anymore.

The meeting went on for a while, and once it was over, Blake ended up staying behind with Ilia for a little bit. It wasn't that she wanted to be there, but if Ilia was insisting on it, Blake would play along. It had the chance of getting Blake more of what she wanted- that would have to be enough for some time.

Blake wasn't happy with it at all.

She got her ride home, and did what she could to push the evening's events from her mind. All that Blake did as soon as she got home was scribble down a set of notes on everything that she had learned before she picked up the phone and made a call.

The phone rang several times before going to voicemail. Normally, Weiss would have just picked it up, but if she had just let it ring through...

Blake didn't know if she should have been worried or not. Weiss was an adult and could take care of herself, but at the same time Blake knew just how badly being in Atlas seemed to mess with Weiss. It couldn't have been anything even close to pleasant, and Weiss was probably more than well aware of that.

But the call hadn't made it to Weiss, so Blake sat down on her bed and laid back in it. In two days, she was going to go and do the thing that might make or break the way that the entire rest of her life.

The thing was, Blake had realized, that no matter what if she was figured out as having sabotaged Adam's story- and that was definitely the intent, she would probably be removed from the writing staff at The Fang. Sienna wouldn't forgive the infraction, and everyone else there was even less likely to. Ilia would probably even feel somewhat betrayed for it.

As for Adam, Blake expected that she was going to be forced to take everything that she had and she was going to need to run. Adam was far from normal, that was something that she had learned far too long ago. If he saw an infraction against him, or he saw some reason to feel angry, Adam would and he would do so in a way that was over the top and _dangerous_.

There was a reason that Blake had needed to run from him the first time. There was a reason that she was afraid of him, and afraid to do this job with him. There was a reason that she had been talking to Klein quietly, trying to make sure that she would have a safe way out of the benefit because she couldn't allow herself to be around Adam that long. Klein would do what he could for her, that much had already been promised, but still Blake was worried and afraid.

She was worried for what would happen if Adam figured out what was going on between her and Weiss. She was worried for her friends- for Yang, for Ruby. She was worried for her own safety, and Blake was already thinking about what she would do if she ended up in a situation where the best thing that she could do was run back to Kuo Kuana. Adam probably wouldn't follow her there, and her family-

Well, they were there for her. That was something that Blake could be confident in.

She took a deep breath and reached over for her phone. There was still no sign that Weiss had seen the missed call. Perhaps she was busy with something at the Schnee Manor? Blake couldn't have imagined what, but with Jacques Schnee apparently back in the picture Blake imagined that Weiss' free time and her general personal freedoms had been scaled back a bit.

Blake took a deep breath and dialed a number on her phone. She listened to the phone ring once, before her father's voice was there.

"Blake?" he asked, sounding tired. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright." Blake said, looking out the window and swallowing down the lie. "I wanted to call and see how you guys were doing."

"Well, everything is good here, Blake." Her father explained, but he did sound exhausted. Blake's eyes flicked over to the clock, and she felt a pang of guilt at the realization that it was much later in the night in Kuo Kuana than it was in Atlas. Had she woken her father up? Or was he spending a late night at his office? "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know." Blake admitted, hugging herself slightly and wishing that she was home instead. "Things are just... messy right now."

Her father hummed. "Would you care to explain what you mean?"

"I'm... probably going to be in trouble at work soon." Blake said quietly, not wanting for Yang to overhear it. "And I just... I need to know that I can come home if I need to."

The silence that Blake heard was really able to speak for itself on some level. She could already imagine what was happening on the other end- her father was worrying and probably leaning forward at his desk. Pinching the bridge of his nose in worry, or taking off his glasses. Blake didn't know which, but she definitely knew what she expected from him.

"Blake." He said, his voice quiet but gentle and warm like it always was. That was all that she wanted to hear. "You know that you're always welcome here, no matter what. Me and your mother love you more than you will ever know."

He wasn't asking her questions, and that was about all that Blake could have ever wanted. She needed to now that she was going to have the freedom to come back, without ending up in a position where she would be judged and interrogated for why she was coming home.

"I know." Blake whispered back into the phone. "I just need to know that it's okay."

"Of course." Her father replied. The sounds coming through the phone were accompanied by him moving around and getting up. There was a quiet rustle of paperwork. He must have been getting ready to go home for the night. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

Blake looked back out at Atlas through the window in her bedroom. It was gorgeous out there, with bright lights that made the dark of the night into something. It created a skyline and an outline that Blake had learned to love, despite the many problems that she had with Atlas.

"I won't force you." Ghira added.

She took a breath, closing her eyes and hugging herself. "I don't want to work with The Fang anymore." Blake said, her voice quiet. "I don't think that... it's a place for me anymore. I care about what I've done, and what I've been writing and fighting for, but... I don't think it's right."

Ghira was silent, for too long, and when he finally spoke up again it was with a little bit more grit or gruffness in his voice. "Is there a specific reason for you wanting to run. Blake, if this is about-"

"It's not about Adam." Blake cut him off. Her parents didn't know the whole story about what had happened between herself and Adam, or more than the bare minimums when it came to Ilia. That was for the better, and that was something that Blake prized. She didn't want any part in just how much could go wrong if they knew more.

As far as her parents knew, Blake had simply moved in with Yang because she needed someone to help pay the rent. It had been a nasty breakup, as far as they understood. They didn't know that part of the reason that Blake had moved was because she felt like she was being stalked, or because Adam was insane. They didn't know that Blake had broken things off with Ilia because of reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with Ilia herself.

They didn't know about Weiss, either.

She took a deep breath. "I just... As far as I know I'll probably be breaking things off in the next few nights. I'm going to put out my last story, take my work, and then I'm going to leave Atlas probably."

Ghira was quiet, hesitant. Clearly trying to figure out what he wanted to make of himself. "If you feel like you need to come home, you are always welcome here. No matter what."

"Even if I don't deserve it."

"Even if you don't think you deserve it." Ghira finished for her, softness oozing into every syllable that he said. "We love you, Blake."

"Thanks, dad." Blake replied, smiling softly and feeling a little bit better about where she was. At the very least she had a way out of Atlas, and Blake was going to take it if she got the chance.

There was another thing that Blake didn't want to focus on, though. If she went back to Kuo Kuana, then she wondered if that might actually comfort her a little bit about Weiss. If Weiss decided to go back to Vale, then she would. Blake could go to Kuo Kuana and then she wouldn't feel that guilty for it.

"I have to go home," Ghira explained quietly. "If you think that you still need to talk to me, you know you can always call."

"I know." Blake replied, still smiling. "I love you."

"I love you too." Ghira said before saying his goodbye and hanging up the phone.

Blake pulled it down from her ear and looked down at the little screen. She watched as it went dark, and felt a sorrow in her heart that she wasn't going to be able to shake.

Only a few more days, and then she was going to be able to make her decision and she'd be able to go home. That was all that she needed to do.

She had the plan in place. She had everything that she needed, she had contact with Weiss, she had a way out.

All she had to do was pull herself together and do it.

Everything else could come after.


	26. champagne and great pains

Among all of the chaos that had seemed to bloom from nowhere, the fundraiser came up much quicker than Weiss had been anticipating. Even with preparation, it felt like it was _too_ fast.

Weiss had spent the better part of her day at the SchneeCorp Headquarters. She knew that her brother was in a similar place, and most of what she ended up doing was walking around the building and making sure that everything was in order that she would need to do.

Of course, there were some things which she couldn't attend to personally. For that she had Klein to get information from the inside, and Weiss treasured that. She could always trust that he would be there for her.

But, Weiss reminded herself, she had to be ready to put on a show and present herself as the heiress that she was expected to be.

An hour before guests were going to start being let in, Weiss changed into a long, flowing blue gown. She didn't personally like it all that much, but since it was ultimately a formal setting it was going to have to do. She stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself in it, unable to help the feeling that she didn't really feel like herself all that much.

For a moment too long, Weiss fiddled with her hair so that it was slightly off center instead of sitting on the center of her head. It meant that she would be able to feel like herself at least a little bit once it all started. She needed to hold onto some part of herself.

Because, Weiss knew, she was simply dressing up for the sake of her family. This was her putting on another personality for the sake of good appearances and family reputation.

The knock at the door made Weiss stand up taller, shocked out of her own thoughts. "Who is it?"

"Your brother." Whitley replied. "I would like to have a word with you before we start."

Weiss took a deep breath. "Come in." She said quietly, blinking and looking down at herself. She took a moment to fix her gown once more. The fine fabric slipped between her fingers as she tugged it down into place.

Whitley pushed the door open and stepped inside. He was already dressed in his own formal wear, perfectly groomed and holding his head up high. There was going to be more for them to do later. "You're looking good."

"Thank you." Weiss said, holding her head up high similarly and bringing her hands together behind her back. "Is there something wrong?"

"No." Whitley answered, but the way that his eyes flickered away from Weiss was telling. "But there were some things that I wanted to ask you about before we got started."

"What were they?" Weiss asked, trying to get a good idea of what Whitley wanted. "Because I figure it's nothing that we can't handle."

"I wanted to know whether or not I should be expecting Neptune Vasilias to be joining us tonight." Whitley said, his eyes still away from Weiss because they were both obviously trying to avoid something. "Because I imagine that him making an appearance would be good for _both_ of us."

Weiss blinked, feeling a wash of dread that was running over her. This was one of those things that she had seriously been hoping that they would be able to avoid. It ran a little too close to the problems that she was feeling like she was drowned in. "I don't think that he'll be here." She said quietly. "He needed to fly back to Vale to attend to some business there. I'm sure you understand."

Weiss wasn't exactly _lying_. Neptune had indeed gone back to Vale, but it didn't have anything to do business. Regardless, there was no way that Neptune was going to be there tonight.

"I see." Whitley responded. His face screwed up like he'd seen something that was wrong. Or like he had just tasted something terrible and didn't have any good way to get it out of his mouth. "Weiss-"

And there it was. He was about to see through her. She tried not to flinch and she tried not to react too much to what she was feeling. "What is it?"

Whitley swallowed. "I can tell that you're lying to me." He said, his voice even and not wavering for a second, all in a show of schooled calm that Whitley had learned over the course of his life. "And I would like to know why you feel that you need to do so."

Weiss swallowed, her mind going back to Blake all too quickly. It was too hard for Weiss to be keep it as a secret already, with only Klein knowing what was going on. She couldn't risk letting her and Blake's secret out, especially to someone that had an important voice in how things went to her.

She just didn't know whether or not Whitley was someone that she could actually talk to about these things.

In truth, the reality was that he probably wasn't. And likely never would be.

"I don't see how it's your business." Weiss said, glaring across at her brother now. Whitley didn't react to it or try to move away, but the way that his own eyes narrowed was obvious.

"I would think that it is-" Whitley said, taking a breath. "Seeing as your actions tonight will likely reflect more upon me than they will on you."

"You're father's favorite." Weiss bit back at her brother. "It won't matter what you do. He'll see my wrongs, and I'll be the one punished for it. Like what happened with Winter."

"Weiss."

"What, Whitley?" She snapped at her brother.

"I don't like that you feel like you need to lie to me or keep yourself away from me." He said, his voice harsh. "You and I used to get along well. I miss the way that things had been before."

"I miss it too." Weiss sighed. "But I can't tell you. I know that isn't what you want to hear, but I _can't_ tell you."

Whitley couldn't have made himself look more displeased by what Weiss had said. He just closed his eyes and shook his head. "You know that you should tell me, sister."

"It's truly none of your business, Whitley." Weiss responded. She took one last look at herself in the mirror and when she felt that she was ready she locked her eyes with her brother's. "Now if you don't mind, I believe that we both have somewhere to be."

The corner of Whitley's lips tugged downwards into a frown. His eyes closed for just a moment before opening again and his attention was drawn to the door. "I suppose that you are correct." Whitley said, lingering by the door for just a moment. "Don't embarrass our family, Weiss."

"I could say the same to you." Weiss whispered as she watched her brother leave, and felt almost crushed by the quiet and the weight of her own loneliness.

Well, there was no more need for her to stay distracted with the ways that her brother was feeling. She needed to get her head together, and go out into the world for a show.

While she did her part, she could trust that Blake would be there doing her own.

At least, that was what Weiss hoped.

* * *

Blake arrived at the Schnee Fundraiser alone, feeling much less at home there than she could have possibly imagined. She was dressed in clothes that were unlike anything that she had really needed to wear for work purposes before. It left her feeling _wrong_ , but the time that she had spent at her apartment with Yang before the benefit had helped. Yang had put great pains into making sure that she could fit into a black-tie audience.

At the very least, she had her hair up off of the back of her neck and tied high in a clean bun, only a few wisps of baby hair curling at the back of her neck.

She stood outside of the building for a moment, giving a quick glance around as people in similar formal dress to hers began to go in, many arm in arm and oblivious to the fact that there would be something going on that night which wasn't simply a dinner and free hors d'oeuvres, followed by a charity auction.

Blake clutched the little purse that she'd decided to bring with her, reminding herself of everything that was going to be inside. Her notebook and a pen, her phone, and a little bottle of pepper spray. She didn't think that she was going to need that last little bit, but when she couldn't be sure since her night was going to at least partially involve Adam.

At the door, Klein was waiting, dressed nicer than she had ever seen him and standing with his head high. Every time that someone would approach the door, he would smile and greet them before checking that their name was on a list. Once that was done, they would be allowed in.

Blake hesitated to go to the door, mostly because she couldn't be sure that she and Adam weren't listed as coming together. That was probably the case, really, and while Blake really hated that, it would at least look proper for them. She took a few steps back away from the front doors of the building and looked back over her shoulder to see that Adam had arrived, in a black suit and a blood red tie around his neck.

He saw her and smiled, approaching like the two of them actually wanted to be there together. Blake held her head up high. "Hello, Adam."

"Blake." Adam replied, smiling. "You're looking wonderful tonight."

"I'm not wearing it for you." Blake responded, gritting her teeth a little bit. "We should go in."

"Right." Adam said, keeping his voice down as the two of them began their walk to the door. He offered Blake his arm, and she rolled her eyes before stepping in close to him and wrapping her arm around his. It was too close, so close that she felt like the scent of his cologne was going to suffocate her. She needed to put on appearances and fit in, even if being so close to Adam made her want to scream. "I look forward to such an interesting night with you, Blake."

She rolled her eyes and tugged him along. "We should worry about getting in first." Blake hissed to Adam as she pulled him into the line behind an older couple. Adam came easily enough, then they were on their way forward and towards Klein.

Together, the two of them stepped up in front of the man. Klein looked between them with a clear look of feigned disinterest on his face. Blake was glad that she could at least take some comfort in that, at least.

"Names?" He asked, playing along with a script that he had clearly been given for every guest.

Adam was about to answer, but Blake cut him off before he got the chance. "Melanie and Raleigh Daniels." She said, clearly so that Klein would be able to play along. He raised an eyebrow and nodded before looking down at the list of names that he had. Klein flipped the page and looked for something before nodded and scratching their names off of the list.

"Enjoy your evening." Klein said, holding his head back up high and putting on a very slight smile for the time being.

Blake and Adam both nodded and began on the way in.

"Fake names?" Adam hissed in her ear. "I would have appreciated it if you let me know about that."

"Sorry," Blake muttered. "I only got them last night."

"Right." Adam said, his frustration obvious enough in his voice. Blake rolled her eyes and just continued on the way inside.

What the two of them found inside of the hall that had been selected for the party was groups of people. Some were faces that Blake recognized from her work, people that she had only ever met in passing. Some of them were more familiar, and one of them that she was having trouble to find was Weiss herself.

Blake didn't realistically think that either of them were going to be able to talk that night, especially when she was there under a fake name and Weiss was likely to be surrounded by people for the entire night anyways.

"When the speeches start, that's when we're doing this." Adam said into her ear, his voice so quiet that Blake almost didn't hear it. "Until then, we enjoy the party."

Blake shot Adam a look, because she didn't really know how that she felt about it. She was willing to bet that he was going to be enjoying the free food and drinks that were there, and if he ended up endangering the whole thing-

Well, if he got thrown out by security for being drunk, then that _was_ a solution. Not a good one though.

Blake herself got a glass of champagne, though she took her time at sipping it and fully intended to have water to make sure that she could have a clear head. She tucked herself into a corner and tried to get a good look at the people there. On the far side of the room, she was able to see Jacques Schnee, standing tall and in conversation with one of the members of his board. He looked frailer than Blake had ever seen him in the past, whether it was in press releases or television interviews.

Whitley Schnee was playing along and making nice with guests, with Weiss at his side and Weiss-

Weiss looked amazing. She was talking with someone and looked like she was more than disinterested with the discussion that she was having. She glanced over at Blake out of the corner of her eye, and Blake saw the slight smile that graced her features. Weiss' eyes flicked back down and Blake could have sworn she'd seen the tint of a light blush.

Unfortunately, it was attention that wasn't going to be allowed to last and Blake knew it. Weiss' gaze only was able to linger for a few moments more before it was back on the person that she'd been talking to. Blake felt something terrible settle in her chest over that, something that she wasn't going to be able to ignore all that easily.

Blake decided to sink into the background to see what was going to happen. She took a deep breath and made herself feel a little bit better about where she was. They were there for a reason, and they were both fully aware of the consequences of what could happen Weiss might have had her own things to do that night, but Blake absolutely refused to get Weiss in trouble for any reason.

For what felt like close to forever, Blake kept herself to the background. Once in a while she would find herself in a conversation with someone, almost always struggling to remember who she was supposed to be playing the part of. She wasn't a reporter, she was simply a rich woman that was there to aid in raising funds for the city's hospital. Rubbing elbows was only part of the night.

At one point in the evening Weiss approached her, with a glass in hand and holding her head up high. "I don't think that I've gotten a chance to greet you yet," Weiss started, her eyes flicking back to the crowd for a moment. "I do hope that you're enjoying the evening so far Miss-"

"Melanie Daniels." Blake finished for Weiss, since it was apparent that she hadn't known the name that she was using for the night. "It's nice to... meet you."

"It is." Weiss said, smiling softly once she was sure that she wasn't going to need to hide things anymore. "How have things been going for you? I hope the event isn't too much."

"So far?" Blake asked, her eyes drifting over towards Adam, who was talking to someone that was there. It seemed like he was interested in talking to a member of the SchneeCorp board- no doubt fishing for some sort of story in a way that nobody would expect much from him. "It's been a lot of hanging around and waiting so far."

"That isn't so bad." Weiss sighed. "My night has mostly been playing nice so that I don't embarrass the family. As though they need it." She brought her glass up to her lips, drinking sweetly from the champagne inside. "So you could say that my night hasn't exactly been interesting so far."

"I figured." Blake replied. She was a little bit curious as to what Weiss was talking about. "Do you know if there is anything that we need to keep in mind?"

"The security around the building has been amped up a bit." Weiss said, her voice dropping in volume dangerously, and the tilt of her head allowing her to hide what she was saying. "I would recommend trying to slip out just before my father or brother speak. If you do that, you might be able to find a way out of the way so that you can make it to where you need to go."

Blake nodded. "I was thinking that we could try and get this stopped before it got started." She blinked, and felt the dread thrumming through her veins when Adam looked over in her and Weiss' direction. "Perhaps we could arrange something."

"We may be able to."

Weiss was quiet, still holding that glass of hers by her face while looking out into the crowd. Blake could practically hear the gears turning in Weiss' head as she tried to think out a solution for the two of them. It was mostly obvious that Weiss was taking her time with figuring this out.

Instead of pushing Weiss for an immediate answer, Blake got a glass of champagne for herself and decided to play along in the same way. She half-hugged herself as she watched the crowds and waited.

When the noise and the chaos had begun to spike back up again, Weiss spoke up again. "Try to give me a signal when you slip out for what you are going to do. I can try to do the same, all that I'll need to do is say that I needed some air and everyone will be willing to play along." She shrugged and her eyes met Blake's for a second. "At the very least, I probably won't be questioned too much for it."

"And if they do?"

The silence that she got as Weiss' answer did manage to speak for itself in a way. It left Blake with a lot of questions as to what was going through Weiss' head, and while she wanted to be able to go ahead and ask what exactly Weiss was thinking about-

It wasn't something that she could do. Not with Adam in the room and able to listen in, and definitely not with Weiss' family there as well. This was far from a safe place, and-

And Blake was glad that she could at least know that she had a place to go home to when this was all over and done with. No matter what, she wasn't expecting to keep her job for much longer than a day once this was all over and done with. That was something that Blake had already come to peace with.

Weiss smiled softly and pushed herself off from the wall, having apparently seen someone that she needed to go ahead and greet or talk to. She didn't say anything to Blake, but at the same time she didn't have to. Blake was actually glad that there wasn't anything extra said between the two of them that could have made things get any worse.

With Weiss gone, Blake had to refocus herself on the job. Adam had found his quiet, and was making his way back over to her. Blake steeled herself and drank some of the champagne, since she had the feeling that she was going to need it anyways. All that she had to do was make sure that she didn't risk compromising what was to come later.

Too much alcohol in her system would only serve to make things worse for them both. That was a sure thing.

Adam watched Weiss, something in his eyes that Blake struggled to identify that went much deeper than just simple contempt. It made her stomach churn and her nervousness grew stronger and stronger This was not good, and Adam-

Blake had a feeling that he was going to go ahead and jeopardize everything now that he had seen Weiss and Blake face to face.

"Friend of yours?" Adam growled.

Blake hesitated, and while there was some urge for her to snap back at Adam, she didn't allow herself to do that. To do that would have been nothing short of suicidal on her part. She let her eyes linger on Weiss' back, which was exposed by the dress that she had decided to wear that night.

"No." Blake answered, when she felt like she was really ready to. "I think she was just doing her official job for the night."

"Right." Adam responded, snappish. "I'm sure that's all it is."

"You should be focusing on what we're here to do." Blake's eyebrows furrowed as she took a half-step away from Adam and faced him. She was gripping her glass a little too tightly- uncomfortably even. "For your own sake."

Adam responded by giving Blake an incredibly harsh look that she didn't want to have levelled on her by any means. "I should say the same to you." He growled back at her, his eyes drifting across the room as though he were seeking someone out. His gaze landed on Weiss like a heat-seeking missile. "Distractions are only going to be a problem. You know that."

"I know." Blake replied, feeling her stomach flip again even though it was far from a literal thing that was happening. Suddenly the thing that she had agreed to do was feeling much, much more dangerous than it had originally.

It left her worrying about whether or not Weiss was feeling the same thing herself.

Slowly but surely, the hours ticked by until it was about the time that she and Adam needed to slip out. People were shuffling into place near a small stage, and Blake caught Weiss' eyes before slipping out of the back of the room and to the bathroom where she was going to wait for things to start.

Blake wished that she knew what Adam was doing, because if she did then her life would have been a little bit easier. She would have been able to plan everything that was going to happen down to the second, more or less.

But as things were, it wasn't that simple. So Blake stood back in the bathroom, and she waited.

When she heard the voice of Whitley Schnee over the speakers, Blake knew. She slipped out the door and matched eyes with Adam..

With that, the two of them were off to work.


	27. red on white

After some time playing along like perfect guests, Blake and Adam broke off from the party so that they could begin to creep through SchneeCorp's headquarters, doing what they could to follow the blueprints that Klein and Weiss had gotten for them. Because they had the directions that were going to be able to keep them away from main hallways, Blake felt a little bit less awful about what was happening. At the very least, they were managing to stay away from security staff for the most part.

"We don't have that much time." Adam growled to her as the two of them ducked into a small maintainance stairwell. "I figure that we have until the speeches end to do this."

"Probably." Blake confirmed, flattening back against the wall and going quiet because she could have sworn that she'd seen the glow of a flashlight, or someone passing by on the other side of the door. Adam picked up on what was happening as well before flatting back beside Blake.

"What now?" He whispered to her.

"We follow what we have and we get to the offices." Blake said, making sure that Adam was under control in any way that she could. Once the danger was gone, the two of them made their room out of the room. "Right?"

"Sounds like it." Adam mumbled. He took the lead and continued on the way to the offices. Blake fell in behind him, mostly doing what she could to stay quiet as they moved along the way. All that they needed to do was get there. Her heels didn't do her many favors, which left her putting most of her weight on her toes so that she wouldn't be as loud.

At some point, Weiss was probably going to find them. When that happened, Blake needed to be sure that she was going to be able to get away. She looked down at the little bag that she'd brought along with her to the banquet. Ilia still had her story, and all that Blake needed to do was send off a message to make sure that it could go up.

After that, what would happen would happen. Blake was going to go home, she was going to prepare to pack her things, and then she was going to make sure that there was a chance for her to prepare to run for Kuo Kuana. Her parents would be there waiting for her, and then she'd be safe.

Despite everything that Blake had lined up, there were questions. Things that she didn't know, things that she couldn't on. The one thing that Blake _could_ be sure of was that the second Adam figured out what was going on, it was going to get _dangerous_. Blake didn't think that it was likely that he wasn't going to get violent. He was a man that she had partially learned to define by the strength of his rage.

She needed to be able to get herself out and-

And she needed to make sure that Weiss would be safe from Adam as well. And her family, if what Blake did know about the Schnees was going to hold true. She didn't know just how much Weiss had done to make sure that she would be safe when this call came together.

It wasn't looking like they were going to have to talk that all over, either. Not when Blake and Adam were already there and on the way to the offices. Not when Weiss was probably already in the process of getting out of the banquet for a moment.

Blake didn't like a single thing about what she was doing. Not at all, not for a second.

Together Blake and Adam made their ways to the maintenance elevator that had been pointed out to the two of them in the blueprints. The door opened and the two of them slipped inside together.

"What do you think?" Adam asked, his voice low. He pressed a thumb against one of the buttons before pressing the button that would command the doors shut early. The elevator began to move, and Blake wished that she could have done something to tell Weiss what was happening to them. How was Weiss going to know where to cut the two of them off if she didn't know where they were? Maybe she was planning to come in late?

Blake didn't know, and she didn't like that at all. Not when there was too much at stake and nothing was clear.

"I think that we need to be fast about this." Blake replied, frowning. "I don't want for the two of us to get caught."

"Well, that's good because I don't want that either." Adam grumbled. He stood up tall, tugging down the sleeves of his jacket in an attempt to get more comfortable. "I just want us to get what we can so that we can get out of this dump."

"Right." Blake mumbled, making sure to place herself on the wall on the far side of the elevator. If she had to be in a closed place with Adam, she could at least make sure that there was space between the two of them.

They rode the elevator as high up as it could. When it opened up, Blake paused because this hadn't been what she'd been predicting.

The elevator opened to a small hallway, which was capped off by a door. There wasn't anything else there, no sign of ways to do things, no ways to get out besides that door and the elevator.

It was clearly built in a way so that whoever came in and out of this doorway and the elevator wouldn't be seen.

"You should take the lead." Adam hissed at her.

Blake looked at the door and nodded, going to it and reaching out for the knob. She turned it slowly and pushed it open. When it opened up, there was a large office on the other side.

It was empty, but Blake had to guess that there was going to be people doing security nearby. At the very least, she had to guess that there were hidden security cameras _everywhere_.

She stepped in, feeling the plush carpet beneath her feet. For the first time, she felt confident that she could move silently. Too bad it was coming only _after_ they were in the office. Adam followed her in and immediately figured out what the two of them had found.

"So this must be the old man's office." Adam muttered as he went up to the desk that was at the center of the room. Blake reached back and prepared to close the door, but stopped herself when she realized that it was deliberately placed and designed to be able to blend into the wall itself. Against her better judgement, she left it open.

"It must be." Blake answered, feeling much too confident all of a sudden. Weiss had to be nearby, she was going to guess. Hopefully she was, because without Weiss showing up, then Adam was going to be able to just get what he wanted. That was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

Adam walked further into the room. He picked up a framed photograph from the desk and made some sort of noise that Blake didn't quite recognize. He turned it in her direction, revealing a photo of Whitley.

There wasn't any sign of Jacques' wife or his two daughters anywhere in the room. If anything, it just served to remind Blake of what Weiss had told her, and it served to confirm some of the things that she knew about Weiss.

It sent a chill down Blake's spine to see it so blatantly expressed.

Adam dropped the photo back onto the desk without any care at all.

"Let's find what we're looking for so we can get out." Blake said, going to the bookshelves at the side of the room. She didn't know that she would find what they were looking for there, but it was the least that she could do.

The bookshelf was full of tomes. Some of them looked newer than others, most of them involving the various fields in which SchneeCorp had some sort of hand. Blake blinked, trying to figure out exactly what she should have been looking for there. She needed to find a binder, perhaps. Or maybe-

There, tucked off to the side, was a set of old ledger books. Ones that didn't have any dust on them, which was probably the most important thing. Blake reached out for the first of them, tugging it out and flipping it open.

It wasn't what she'd been expecting. It wasn't a decoy, or at least it didn't _look_ like one. It looked like someone had torn out the original guts of the book and had replaced them with the workings of a three-ring binder. Blake read the first page, finding that it was indeed financial statements, but they were the ones for SchneeCorp's medical branch. It wasn't exactly what she was looking for, but it was a start.

Blake set the book back onto the shelf and moved on to the next one, going from book to book, to book until she found exactly what she was looking for. Adam was over at the desk, messing around with something and rifling through the drawers that weren't already locked.

The possibility that she had indeed found a decoy stuck out in Blake's mind. She couldn't imagine that what they were _actually_ looking for had to be in a safe somewhere, far from reach.

"Adam." Blake hissed to him, holding up the book so that he was able to see it just fine. He smiled a little bit and approached, ripping it out of her hands a little roughly. It hurt, but Blake schooled her expressions down because she didn't want to let Adam see that he'd managed to hurt her.

He turned towards the desk and set the book down, pulling the pages open and beginning to flip until he found what he wanted. Blake craned her neck a little bit to try and get a view of what was happening. She figured that if Adam was looking for specific dates, then he was likely to just tear out the pages that he needed.

If that happened, then things were going to get more complicated. It would however have been a lot less complicated than what would happen if he did exactly what he _did_ do.

Adam's phone came out and he began to focus on the papers in the binder.

Blake checked over her shoulder, watching as Weiss opened the door, just before Adam was able to take the first photograph.

"You aren't supposed to be here." She said, her voice hard and commanding in the best way that Weiss was able to manage. Adam jumped a little bit, whirling around to face her.

His expression immediately sank into something that was incredibly dangerous and Blake hoped sincerely that Weiss had come with some sort of help.

"Listen-" Adam started, standing up tall and reaching for the binder. He gripped onto the pages there and tore them out as quickly as he could, many of them ripping across information in the process. "I don't want any trouble."

"Neither do I," Weiss said seriously. "But you two really shouldn't be there. I would recommend dropping the pages and leaving before security gets here to escort the two of you out." The threat in her voice was obvious.

Blake had no doubts now that Klein was on the other side of the door, ready to make a call once the signal was given. Perhaps there were a couple of members of the SchneeCorp private security force hiding by as well. Blake just hoped that if that was indeed the case, that she wasn't going to find herself getting thrown into the same position as Adam.

Weiss would have informed them to leave her alone, right?

Adam stood up tall and a frown bloomed across his expression. He turned to face Weiss more directly now, still gripping the torn away papers in his hand. Whether or not he'd actually be planning to store any of it away was something that Blake wasn't sure of.

"You really think that you'd be able to stop me, princess?" Adam asked back, taking two steps forward in a way that looked rather menacing. Weiss didn't budge and she didn't waver. She just took a few steps forward into the room.

"I think that it would best for you to drop those pages and leave." There was a dangerous tilt to Weiss' head, something in her eyes that Blake had never seen from her before. "For your own good. Security should be here any moment."

Blake's eyes widened, and she took two half-steps back to try and get a view of what was going on outside. The door was closed, but on the other hide she couldn't hear anyone else.

"I think that for your own sake, you should consider letting me go." Adam said, approaching Weiss. "Because you won't be able to stop me."

"Try me." Weiss bit back, reaching out for the papers that Adam still had in his fist. He grit his teeth and reacted, grabbing at Weiss' hand before she could make any contact. He immediately tugged at Weiss' arm, pulling her straight off balance. Weiss was too short, standing up barely on the tips of her toes so that she can't be hurt. She was wearing high heels, and if there was any chance that she _could_ have regained her balance, the shoes alone threw it away.

"I gave you a chance to go." Adam growled at Weiss, bending his neck so that he could look down at Weiss in the most intimidating way that he had possible. He stood with his teeth bared, and with a solid, strong grip that was sure to bruise. "And now you're just getting in my way."

"Let. Me. Go." Weiss snarled back at him, doing what she could to ground herself and pull back away from Adam's grip. She didn't get far, but Blake could see the slight wince in her expression. "You're going to be arrested, and I _will_ press charges for assault."

"I don't think so." Adam responded. He ripped at her arm and all but threw her away towards the desk. Weiss stumbled, unable to catch herself before she made contact with the desk, her face slamming into it as she fell all the way down. Blake heard the sound of breaking glass, and felt her heart skip a beat.

"Adam!" She shouted, running at him and pushing him away. "What are you doing?"

He grit his teeth and looked from her to Weiss. "So it is true."

"Adam." Blake shouted back. "What the hell are you-"

"Klein!" Weiss called from behind her, sounding weak and _scared_. Deathly afraid.

The door burst open and two security guards rushed in, both carrying what looked like tasers in their hands. The two of them immediately began shouting and shouting. Klein hurried in after them, but he mostly ignored Blake there, rushing to Weiss' side instead.

Blake moved to go to Weiss as well. Adam shouted something at her, but Blake couldn't make it out before it turned into a scream, undercut by the buzzing sound of the taser going off. Klein looked at her and nodded.

"Leave the woman." Klein ordered the two guards. "As for him-"

"We'll take it from here!" The first guard answered, dragging Adam behind them.

When Blake got a look at Weiss' face, there was red running down in a sickening cut.

It had to have been running into her eye itself, and Blake sincerely wished that she could have actually figured out just how bad it was. Klein was holding Weiss gently, hands resting on her arms in a way that was far from intrusive. Blake took a few more steps forward and hugged herself, looking down at Weiss and hoping that the woman would say something to her. She needed to hear that this would be okay.

Blake had her doubts that was going to happen at all.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, sitting down beside the other two for the moment. "I could have done more."

"It's-" Weiss sniffled, clearly about to cry. Blake frowned and shook her head, trying to figure out whether or not she could have done something to help. She could have torn off part of her dress, but that didn't seem likely. "It's okay."

"No." Blake replied. "It isn't."

Klein was quiet, clearly trying to just do what he could to calm Weiss. At once, he looked up at Blake and met her eyes. "I think it may be for the best that you leave. I can assure you that he will be gone, but I can't promise this ends well for you if you stay."

"Is that alright?" Blake asked, looking more at Weiss now than she had been at Klein.

Weiss nodded, very slightly, picking up a wad of tissues from the box and pressing it to her eye. The red was dripping down her face and neck, to the collar of her dress, bright and obvious, and angry. Dark red streaks against pale skin and blotches against soft sapphire blue fabric.

Blake reached out and gently took Weiss' hand and gave it a slight squeeze before hurrying back out through the way she'd come in. As soon as the door closed behind her, she removed her phone from her bag and made a call or two.

* * *

Weiss was almost immediately whisked off to the hospital by Klein, in a way that kept her out of the view of guests and her family alike. She knew that this was going to go poorly once the word got to them- especially to her father. She had absolutely no doubts that her family had realized her absence from the rest of the night's events.

For several hours, she just sat in the room that she'd been given, unable to think of anything else to make herself or her injury feel better.

No matter what, Weiss knew exactly how this was going to end. Her father was going to find out, and the conclusions would be drawn easily enough. Whitley would figure it out, but because of the way that things had been done, Weiss could at least believe that her brother wouldn't fall into their father's wrath too much.

As for her, she was going to end up like Winter.

She didn't know how this was going to go for Blake either. The good thing was that she had only needed stitches, and the injury had been surprisingly clean, all things considered. It just wasn't something that she really knew she wanted. Not the way that she had gotten it, not for the reason that she'd gotten it.

At some point, she was going to need to call Blake and tell her how things were going.

First, Weiss needed to call for someone else.

Weiss took a deep breath and held her phone up to her ear, having dialed in the one number that she'd needed. She waited through tone after tone until finally the other end picked up with a quiet clicking noise that was enough to make her almost relax completely.

"Hey, Winter." Weiss whispered through the phone, even though even the slightest movements of her face made it hurt more. "Are you busy?"

"No." Winter replied to her, but it sounded like she was definitely doing something. Perhaps she was in the process of making dinner. "What has you calling me?"

"Something happened tonight." Weiss whispered, cupping her free hand over the phone receiver like she needed to hide what was happening and was being discussed. It didn't matter, because in that hospital room she was in an absolutely safe setting. Nobody was going to come that could hurt her, and they couldn't come and see her without permission. "And I just... needed to talk to you."

Winter was silent for a long moment, and for just a second Weiss could have sworn that she'd heard the woman stab a knife into a cutting board. "Did father do something?"

"No." Weiss sighed. "Neither did mother, or Whitley either. I just... got myself into trouble, and-"

"You're hurt."

"I'm in the hospital." Weiss whispered back to her sister, wishing desperately that Winter could have actually been there for her. "I should be fine, but the injury is in a fairly... delicate location so they wanted to hold me overnight. Just in case."

"Tell me what happened."

Just like that, everything that Weiss had been feeling and carrying on her shoulders for close to two months rushed out of her. It came as a torrent, and Winter just listened along the entire time instead of trying to interject or cut Weiss off in the process. It was something that Weiss could take a lot of comfort in.

Minutes passed, and when Weiss finally finished by gasping out that she and Blake were dating and that it was probably compromised at that point, she finished. She had tears in her eyes that were daring to fall, and if she cried too much Weiss knew that the salt would only make things worse for her.

Winter's silence partially spoke for itself.

"It sounds like you have had a very stressful night, Weiss."

"I have." Weiss gasped, gripping onto the blanket a little more tightly than she strictly needed to. "I don't know how much everyone else knows about this right now. I don't even know if Whitley or father know I'm even in the hospital."

"You know that they aren't going to be happy."

"I do." Weiss sighed. "I think that I was kind of expecting that. I figure I'm going to get disowned, and then after that-" She went quiet, her mind drifting of to places that Weiss wasn't sure she wanted to go to. She was going to have to leave the manor, and whatever money she had left in her bank account was going to need to be enough to hold her over until a more opportune time.

At the very least, she was going to need to try and find some stable work when she was ready.

Whether or not Vale was in her plans for the moment was something that Weiss wasn't sure of.

She didn't know that she was going to know for sure. Not in the near future, at the very least. Some things were just going to have to come as they came. When that happened, Weiss was prepared to deal with what was going to come after.

"You know that I will be here for you either way." Winter said, her voice still quiet as ever. "If there is something wrong, then you just have to make a call and I would be happy to help you."

"I know." Weiss smiled softly. She knew the way that things were relating to Winter. No matter what, her sister was sure to try and help her along, but for as long as she was in her lifestyle, Weiss knew that Winter could only give so much. She wouldn't be able to run to her sister in person. "That's why I called."

Weiss looked to the door of her room, and for a second she could have sworn that she'd seen someone's shadow from the other side of the frosted glass. It was enough to make her stomach turn, because she couldn't be sure that she was really alone. The second that her brother or father found out where she was, Weiss knew that she was going to have hell to pay.

"I figured as much." Winter sighed. "How bad is it?"

"My face hit a glass picture frame." Weiss mumbled, because that was the truth but it also felt a little bit... ridiculous to say it out loud. As wrong as that felt to say. "I have a slash going across my eye, but I should still be able to see once it heals."

"A slash-" Winter gasped the words out, sounding far more than just surprised by the statement. "Are you expecting for it to scar? Can you _see?_ "

"I can see fine and I think that it's definitely going to scar." Weiss frowned, because that was still something that she wasn't quite used to thinking about. "I know that things are going to get worse, Winter."

"They probably will," Winter sighed. "I believe that you can do this though. You're more intelligent and strong than people give you credit for."

"Thank you." Weiss whispered back through the phone. She watched the door, ready for whoever was about to come through. They were too tall to be Klein, and it being her mother was too far from the realm of possibility. "I think I might have to go."

"Of course."

With that, Weiss and Winter said their goodbyes and Weiss hanged up the phone. She wasn't completely content with the way that things were going. She took a breath and looked over at the door, waiting for it to open.

The shadow passed in front of the frosted glass again.

"Do you need something?" Weiss raised her voice, just enough to ensure that she would be heard on the other side. "I can see you waiting."

There was a pause, and the door was pulled open almost roughly. Weiss stared at it and watched as her brother's head poked through the door. It wasn't exactly the person that she had been afraid of coming, but she still wasn't too happy to have to be there.

"Sister." Whitley said, his voice deadly serious and his expression just the same. "I suppose that you and I have some things to talk about, don't we."

Weiss remembered the patch that she had to wear over her face for the moment, until it was healed enough that she could do more with her life. "I suppose that the two of us do."

Whitley's eyes were focused securely on her face. Weiss felt her stomach turn at that a little bit. What if this was going to be all that the people around her were going to be able to notice in the future?

He sighed and pulled up a chair next to the bed, not taking the moment to request permission at all. It probably wasn't necessary to him. "There was something going on tonight that you refused to tell me about."

"There was." Weiss confirmed, looking her brother in the eye. "Don't let him blame you for what happened."

"I think that he already is, although-" Whitley blinked. "I believe that he has placed more blame upon you. What was the point of all of this, Weiss?"

"I've been seeing someone." Weiss explained. "And I need for you to understand that... what I say to you is something that I need for you to keep quiet. From father, from mother. Winter knows, but I need for it to be kept quiet."

Whitley nodded along. "I guess that you mean to tell me that you aren't dating Neptune Vasilias."

"I've been seeing a reporter." Weiss explained, blinking and pulling her gaze away from Whitley. "And I like her a lot. But I couldn't risk anyone finding out about that because she's-"

"A member of the press."

"Among other things." Weiss said, glad that Whitley was choosing to glaze over the specific part where she was seeing a woman. From Whitley she didn't know that she expected anything really bad to happen. It was her father that she was more worried about. And Blake. "So I've lied to you about a lot of things. And I'm sorry about tonight."

Whitley sighed, looking back over his shoulder. It was too possible that he wasn't there alone.

He worried his lip a little bit, clearly unsure of himself. "So this happened because your… partner, was looking for a story."

"It's more complicated than that." Weiss shrugged, because denying that was the4 case didn't really do anything for her, or for Whitley. It was for the best to just acknowledge some things. At the point where they were, Weiss had her doubts that she wasn't going disowned, and Blake seemed like she was worrying about her job already. "She was trying to… stop someone from getting a story of his own. And I opened the door to let her stop it."

"I'm afraid that I don't know whether I should thank you." Whitley mumbled, leaning back in the seat. "But what I feel won't matter, I suppose that you are already aware of that."

"I am."

Whitley nodded, his eyes drifting away from Weiss just slightly. "If things go the way that we're expecting, then I won't hate you. But..." He frowned. "I wish that it didn't go this way."

"I feel the same way." Weiss whispered. "Thank you, Whitley."

Whitley nodded and stood up, mumbling a goodbye to her and slipping out of the room to leave Weiss alone for some time. At the very least, she wasn't upset by the possibility of her being able to rest. She needed it, and if her days that were coming soon were going to be difficult-

She needed to be able to prepare for her father.


	28. ending an era

"You've really gotten yourself into a world of shit, Blake." Ilia said the words over the phone, sounding _very_ annoyed. The fact that the two of them were up at three of the morning on the phone had a lot to do with it. The fact that Ilia was suddenly juggling the story and the fallout of Adam's arrest had more to do with it.

Blake was sitting by the river where she and Weiss had gone a few times in the past, still in the clothes that she'd gone to the Schnee Fundraiser in. She wished that she had a chance to change into something which was more suited to sitting outdoors, but she hadn't felt like going straight home. She still felt like there was adrenaline in her veins.

"I know." Blake sighed. "I did what I needed to do."

"They're firing you." Ilia bit the words out, very angry. "I'd be expecting a call from Sienna any moment, but— " She let out a noise of annoyance. "You know that she's going to have to pay Adam's bail, right? And that she knows you left? And that Adam's definitely going to tell her what happened?"

"Adam committed an assault." Blake said calmly. She looked back over her shoulder, almost afraid that someone was going to show up and try to bother her. "That doesn't have anything to do with me. He can tell her what happened. I'm not worried about what will happen." The wind blew her hair out of the bun it had been pinned up into. It'd been falling loose for hours. "Not really."

Ilia went silent, clearly unhappy with the way that things were going. At the end of the day, Blake knew that she had probably only managed to cause a massive headache for Ilia. Asking for the story that she'd written to be put out when it was, putting herself into a position to be fired, actively sabotaging Adam—

Whatever she ended up getting was probably going to end up being something that she deserved. Blake understood that, and she was willing to pay for what she did.

That didn't mean that she had to like it, or that she wasn't going to be making plans on the side to make sure that she was going to have a way out of trouble.

"Blake, that isn't what this is about. _You_ chose to go on that story with him, and it seems like _you_ were intending for it to be trouble." Ilia grumbled. "What was your endgame in all of this?"

"That doesn't matter." Blake mumbled back to Ilia. "Look, if Sienna calls... tell her that I'm gone."

"You're quitting?"

"I'm going to be fired anyways." Blake explained calmly. "Nothing that I do will be enough to change that, and you and I both know it."

Ilia was silent. Blake closed her eyes and waited for her to say anything else that could do something to spur things along.

"I can't tell you how _angry_ I am at you, Blake." Ilia hissed through the phone. "But I'll pass the message along. Don't think that I'm happy about it. If she comes calling for you, I'm not going to keep her from getting through to you."

"I understand."

"Good." Ilia snapped. In the few seconds after, Ilia hanged up, and Blake listened to the tone that came after for a moment too long. She couldn't pretend like everything was okay for her. She couldn't act like she was going to be alright for sure, since she still had so much that she was going to need to look into. Blake knew for a fact that she could go home, but there was too much else going on.

She didn't even know if Weiss was okay. That alone was likely to keep her in Atlas, at least until she had a more clear picture of what was going to happen to her. If she was truly going to leave, then she was going to need to talk to Yang about that before she left. The two of them were going to need a plan for what was to come after everything. Yang was still going to need for her to help out with the rent, and how long _that_ would take Blake didn't know. She could pay bills from afar if she needed to. Online payments were always a thing.

Blake dropped her phone into the space beside her on the bench and stared out across the river. Without Weiss there to join her, it was a much less beautiful sight. Too quiet and too cold.

In the end, she didn't go back to her apartment until dawn was just beginning to break over the city.

* * *

After nearly a full day of time in the hospital, Weiss was released back to the world. She hadn't had many chances to change out of what she wore to the fundraiser. The main difference was that she now had a jacket that Klein had brought her. She could hide her face behind the hood and hide her injuries along with it.

Even still, Klein made a point to stay close by her side where nobody could harm her. He was protective in a way that Weiss wasn't always used to seeing.

Surprisingly, Weiss didn't really feel like she wasn't in any danger. Not anymore, at least.

The mansion was empty come time for her arrival in the morning. Weiss slipped inside as quietly as she could and made her way up towards her bedroom. When she opened the door, Weiss cast a quick glance around to double check that nothing had changed there since she'd left.

Her things were undisturbed, presumably aside from the package of clothing that Klein had decided to bring her.

For now, she didn't have to worry. Weiss crawled into bed and reached for her phone. She sent a quick text to Blake just to ensure that she knew that Weiss was alright, and pulled the warm blankets up over her. Over breakfast, Weiss knew that she was going to have to face her father. The option to not attend was there, of course, but that wasn't what Weiss really _wanted_ to do. She just needed some space.

What she needed was time to process what had happened, like Klein would say.

Her father wasn't going to be happy with her at all. He wasn't going to be happy about anything that she'd done, or that she'd gotten involved in. He was going to look at the injury on her face and only feel concerned for how he thought his _reputation_ had been hurt overnight when news would inevitably get out that one of The Fang's writers had been arrested for an assault at a Schnee party.

Weiss was definitely prepared for what was going to happen, she just didn't know where she would go after. Calling Neptune or Coco was of course an option, but Weiss wasn't sure how good of an option it really was. She could just ask them and make sure that she had a way out when she needed it.

She could talk to Blake as well, but Blake was probably worrying about the same things herself. Probably much more, since Weiss had serious doubts Blake would be able to keep her job.

For two or three hours, Weiss laid awake, staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom and feeling completely lost in her own head.

Eventually the time would come where she needed to get up and join everyone else in her family's home. That didn't mean that she was going to enjoy it or that she would relish in the opportunity. Weiss nearly had to force herself to get dressed before leaving her bedroom and walking down the empty halls and too-large staircases.

Her father sat at the table, alone. In his hands there was a copy of a magazine that he'd been brought, along with a tablet sitting on the table like it too held some article that he'd been reading.

Like Blake's article, Weiss thought.

The sound of her heel clicking against the tile floor aleterted her father to her presence though. He looked up at her with as severe of an expression as always and carefully folded the magazine he'd been reading shut.

"Weiss." He greeted her, perpetually frowning. "I see that you're home."

"I am, father." Weiss replied, falling into place at the end of the room like she'd been trained, holding her head up high, and folding her hands together behind her back. "I'm sorry that I didn't let you know."

"But of course you are." He muttered, not sounding convinced at all. "Though I suppose that you have other reasons for staying away. Not just whatever ugly scar you have there."

Weiss swallowed. Her brother had definitely told him at this point, she was sure of it. Her father knew what she had been up to, and this was it. She was going to be run out of her family's home and left to fend for herself. It was time for everything that she had been preparing for to finally fall into place.

"I'm sorry." Weiss said, swallowing hard and continuing to stand up tall. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

"That would run contrary to everything that I have uncovered with regards to your... _assault_ last night." Jacques explained. "Your brother was happy to share the story with me."

Just like that, Weiss felt her stomach sink because she knew where this was going to end. All she could hope was that he'd kept the one thing that she'd needed kept secret quiet.

"Oh." Weiss' eyes flicked down to her feet rather than her father. She wasn't going to be able to actually look him in the eye anymore. "I'm sorry, father"

Jacques grunted. "I'm sure that you understand that I can't have another family embarrassment on my hands. Your mother and Winter are bad enough, but you Weiss?"

Her face began to burn as it flushed red in shame.

"I thought that you would have been better than this. I thought that as my eldest legitimate child, you would understand that you need to keep appearances." Jacques stood up and walked over towards her. "And since you have disappointed and embarrassed me, I must take action."

No chance for her to explain herself. No chance for her to defend her position or offer another explanation.

This was what she needed to be ready for.

"Of course, father." Weiss' voice came out too meek and quiet. She felt terrible enough as things were. "I understand."

"I must recommend that you leave the manor immediately. In the future you are not to show your face around our family events. You are not to contact myself, your brother, or your mother. You are not to contact any of the members of my staff. Are I clear?"

"Yes, sir." Weiss whispered. This was better than what she could have faced. "Is that all?"

Jacques rolled his eyes and walked to the table again, picking up the tablet and turning it on. He looked down at the information that was on it. Weiss couldn't crane her neck enough to see what it was.

"I should do more." Jacques muttered, his anger obvious. "Seeing as you have chosen to air our family's dirty laundry to the world." He looked back at her out of the corner of his eye, anger written clearly across his face. "I would recommend leaving before my mood worsens."

And that was something that Weiss could understand, something that she could read into easily enough.

She gave a tiny bow and left the room as quickly as she could before hurrying up to her bedroom. Weiss gave herself four minutes to pack everything that she'd brought with her to Atlas into a bag before adding other things that were in the room to it. Once she was sure that she had everything that she could have needed, Weiss reached for her phone and made a phone call.

"Blake?" Weiss asked, as soon as the other end picked up.

"Weiss." Blake greeted her, sounding both groggy and relieved. "Are you okay?"

"I am." Weiss confirmed, taking a deep breath. "But I need a place to stay until I figure out where I'm going to go after this. I can explain when I see you."

"Yeah," Blake sighed. "Sure. Just come over and we can figure this out."

"Thank you." Weiss whispered. "I'll be over shortly."

"Right. I'll see you." Blake hanged up like that, and Weiss took a breath before doing the same. That was as good as it was going to get.

Weiss allowed herself to make one more call for a cab since getting Klein's help probably wouldn't work, but before it could go through, there was a knock on the door. Weiss hung up.

"Who is it?"

"Klein, miss Schnee. I believe that there are some things that you and I must discuss."

"Come in."

The door opened. Weiss felt a terrible, terrible weight in her chest. This was going to be her last time seeing Klein in person most likely. "You know," Weiss started. "I was told not to talk to you anymore."

"I believe that is an order which will likely start once you leave the premises." Klein said, holding his head up high, closing the door behind him. "I was going to extend the offer to drive you away."

Weiss let out a breath. "Thank you." She turned to face him now, tears already beading in her eyes. "I'm going to be going to Blake's now that I... can't be here anymore."

"You did the right thing, Weiss." Klein told her. "I am sorry that this is how it'll end up. Are you feeling quite all right?"

"No." Weiss whispered. "Not at all. I'm hurt, and being run off. I know what I'm supposed to feel."

"Of course." Klein stood tall and opened his arms, the invitation more than obvious. Weiss rushed at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to cry into Klein's shoulder. "I understand, Weiss."

"I don't want to lose you." Weiss whispered into Klein's shoulder. "But I have to."

"This won't be the end, Weiss." Klein tried to comfort her, gently rubbing her back. "I promise you that. He can't control everything."

Weiss wanted to feel convinced, she really did, but it wasn't that easy. She took a deep breath and nodded before following Klein out to the car. He helped her to carry her luggage on the way out, and when Weiss climbed in, Klein treated her the exact same way that he would have in any other circumstance.

Her having just been disowned wasn't what mattered.

Klein took his spot behind the wheel and adjusted the mirror. Weiss caught a glimpse of herself in it, and while she wanted to think that she looked wrong, she couldn't make herself feel that way. It was just a scar.

"Are you ready?"

"I am." Weiss confirmed.

Klein began the drive across the city, and the two of them stayed mostly silent. If the two of them weren't going to be able to be in contact for some time, then Weiss had an idea as to what she could do. It wouldn't have been that hard for her to get a new number to call Klein with it. He wasn't going to just cut her off like her father wanted. Klein cared about her.

"I do hope that you'll be well, Weiss." Klein said, pulling up in front of Blake's apartment. He parked there and turned, looking back to face Weiss head on. "Is there anything else that you think you need?"

"No." Weiss sighed, rallying herself. She turned and reached for the door. Klein saw and got out just the same though, walking around the side of the car and pulling it open for Weiss. She stepped out and looked up at the building. It was just as unassuming as always. Blake's bike was probably parked in her spot in the back. "I think that I'll be well."

Klein stepped in and hugged Weiss. "If you ever think that you may need me, just call."

"Of course." Weiss whispered back to Klein.

He pulled back and Weiss nodded, going to let herself in because Blake was going to be waiting for her anyways. She pushed the button on the buzzer and was let in immediately. Weiss smiled slightly, adjusting her bags and followed the same path inside that she always would have.

When she got to the apartment, Blake was the only one there, and the door was unlocked. Weiss let herself in and slipped out of her shoes by the door.

"Hey." Weiss greeted Blake.

Blake looked over at her, and the immediate look of relief that crossed over her face was enough to help Weiss relax slightly. She set down the knife that she'd been chopping something with and walked over to the door, probably expecting to help Weiss with her bags.

But instead of reaching for the bags, Blake went for Weiss' face. Her hands cupped Weiss' cheeks gently, and they were warm and soft, just like Weiss had thought they would be. "Hello." Weiss whispered back to Blake. "I'm okay."

"Yeah." Blake sighed, squeezing her eyes shut in a pained way for just a moment. She rushed in and wrapped her arms around Weiss. It was done slowly enough that Weiss had plenty of time to brace herself for it. "I'm so sorry about what happened."

"You did fine." Weiss whispered into Blake's ear, tilting her head and letting it rest on Blake's shoulder. "I'm glad you were there."

"Good." Blake pulled away and gestured to the living room. "You can just... find a place to put your things. It'll be fine."

Weiss picked up her bags and walked over to a corner, setting her things back down in a neat pile. "Thank you for letting me come over."

"I don't mind it." Blake replied, sighing. "The last day's been pretty... hectic."

"It has." Weiss replied. "I was disowned this morning."

"I'm sorry." Blake mumbled, and Weiss wanted to feel comforted but that wasn't what happened. Instead, it was just exactly what she'd been expecting and exactly what she'd prepared for. "I got fired this morning. For what it's worth."

"I'm sorry."

It was quiet for a moment, neither of them knowing what to say. Weiss took a breath and walked over to join Blake in the kitchen. Now that she could see it, Blake was chopping an eggplant into slices.

"I think that I was preparing for it." Blake mumbled. "The good thing is that Adam hasn't been bailed out yet, as far as I know. But once he gets out I'm probably going to skip town."

Weiss nodded. "And then what?"

"My family are going to be happy to have me home." Blake shrugged, looking away from Weiss. "I figured that I would be able to go back and figure out where to go from there. Were you planning to go back to Vale?"

Weiss shook her head, looking down at her hand where it rested on the counter. "I haven't gotten a chance to figure it out with Neptune or Coco just yet. I'll leave when I know, but right now I don't know."

Blake nodded. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"I will." Weiss sighed. "I'm going to miss you, though."

That was the truth of it all, in far too many ways and Weiss knew it. She was going to miss Blake. Now that she's done her part with Blake, and Blake has gotten her story, Weiss doesn't actually know what she has left that she can offer the other woman.

Blake losing her job gave her a little bit more security in her situation, but it still wasn't enough.

Across the counter, Blake picked up the cutting board and pushed the chopped vegetables on it off and into a pot of something. Whatever she was making, Weiss didn't know. "It doesn't have to be that way."

"What?" Weiss paused, completely lost suddenly. There wasn't a way that she was going to be able to get that much out of Blake, was there? How was she going to be able to keep contact with Blake beyond phones. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we have options." Blake said nonchalantly. "We can try to do a long distance relationship."

"I like you a lot, Blake, but I don't know that's something that I want to do." Weiss sighed. "It'd be a lot of work."

"Yeah." Blake mumbled. "It would be."

Weiss took a deep breath. She had to figure out what she was going to do in Vale once this was over with. Without knowing whether she was going to be able to continue her life there, Weiss couldn't feel secure making any choices. Blake was going to be a part of her life stuck in limbo, it seemed.

Blake smiled at her though, and it almost made her feel more confident. "We can make this all work." Blake reassured Weiss. "I'm going to go back to Kuo Kuana, but I don't know how long that will last."

"You'll be with your family, though?"

"I will be." Blake shrugged. "But I don't think that's going to be a permanent arrangement."

She paused and her eyes went wide. Weiss watched silently as Blake lunged for her phone and picked it up. She locked eyes with Weiss. "Watch the pot so it doesn't boil over. I'll be right back."

"What are you doing?" Weiss got up and walked around the other side of the counter.

Whatever Blake was doing, Weiss couldn't be sure and Blake didn't give an answer to the question.

That was far from encouraging, and Weiss really didn't know how she was supposed to feel.

She watched the pot, but from the kitchen she could hear Blake on the phone in another room, obviously talking to someone hurriedly and almost excitedly.

Weiss watched the pot, trying too hard not to think about it. It probably wasn't going to be anything important, not for her.

Fifteen minutes later, Blake came into the room and smiled at Weiss. She crossed the room and stepped in close to Weiss before pressing her lips to Weiss'.

Weiss smiled into the touch, and when she began to open her mouth to ask what exactly was going on, Blake only cut her off.

The news made Weiss' heart jump in her chest and it felt like she couldn't really breathe.

She loved Blake. So so much.


	29. lilies

Blake and Weiss landed in Kuo Kuana together on a Tuesday, at an airport that was much smaller than what either of them had become used to out in Atlas. There was a certain sort of nervous excited energy that buzzed in the air between the two of them. Both of them were more than acutely aware of just how much things could go wrong. Mostly, that would depend on her Blake's family's reaction to meeting Weiss.

One of the few things that the two of them had going for them was that Blake's parents had already been warned that Blake had someone coming with her. Introductions would have to wait for the first in-person meeting. Mostly, the last six hours had been an adventure partially because Weiss was for the first time experiencing normal airport security and economy seating.

"So they do know that I'm coming, right?" Weiss asked, sounding very nervous and almost skeptical of the information that she'd already been presented about what was to come. "Because I _really_ don't know that this is going to go well. I know you told them you were bringing someone, but not… _me._ "

"I think they're going to love you." Blake sighed, relaxing as the two of them got down to the baggage claim area. She walked over to one of the conveyors and waited, Weiss close to her side and gripping her hand the entire time. "Once they get a chance to meet you, of course."

Weiss nodded, pulling away to get her clean pale blue leather bag when it came by. She hesitated for a moment and smiled, soft and gentle. "You know," Weiss started, suddenly much more sentimental than Blake had ever seen her before. "We met at an airport."

Blake blinked because _that_ was something that she definitely hadn't had on her mind. The realities of how she and Weiss had met were something that she hadn't even thought about since their departure from Atlas. She just hadn't had any need to concentrate on it. "I guess so." Blake replied, picking up her backpack when it finally came around the curve where she and Weiss were waiting. She'd had to leave her bike behind in Atlas for now, but when she was able to she was going to call and get Yang to help her get it home. "I think that the circumstances are a little better here."

"They are." Weiss sighed. "I'm not worrying about home, and you're not looking for a scoop. Now we just have to worry about-"

"My parents." Blake laughed quietly. She reached into her pocket to fish out her phone. If she was home then the least that she needed to do was make a phone call and make sure that her mother and father knew that they'd arrived. Her father had offered a ride home, but Blake had thought it was better for them to use a cab or a city bus instead. Blake knew herself- she was going to need the space anyways.

Whether Weiss would be open to it was a different story entirely.

"So." Weiss asked as the two of them walked out of the airport. "The plan is that we're going to be here until-"

"Until we have plans to get out of here." Blake clarified. The two of them had ended up with about two weeks before their departure, but in those two weeks things around Atlas had gotten _strange_. Weiss was having a hard time adjusting to the changes in her life, and Blake found herself obsessively checking The Fang's website and police logs. The possibility was very real that Adam had been bailed at that point, and Blake had decided to get out. She paid the last of her part of the month's rent and set up a plan with Yang to make sure that she could keep paying the last few months on their lease.

Weiss had called her friends in Vale, but hadn't been able to come up with a great opportunity just yet. She'd mentioned the possibility of looking for work there in Kuo Kuana, but hadn't expanded much on that. Weiss was used to high-ranking executive type situations. She had a business degree, and Blake was sure that she was eager to use it now that she was free of her family's leash.

Blake figured she'd try for the local paper at the least. In theory, work would be easy enough to come by. Ilia would probably give a good enough reference if she asked nicely. If she was lucky.

"It's going to be alright." Blake said in a weak attempt to comfort Weiss about where they were and what they were doing. They'd work things out. They were smart, and what was left in their accounts was enough of a cushion that they'd be able to get things going. Maybe it wouldn't be in the most comfortable manner, but it would be more than enough.

"I want to believe you." Weiss responded with an almost stiff shrug. The two of them stepped outside onto the curb, and Blake couldn't help the groan that escaped her when she recognized her mother's car sitting on the side of the road. Sure enough, her mother was there too, waiting excitedly for the two of them. "Blake?"

"My mom's here." Blake said, swallowing and looking Weiss in the eye. "Are you ready?"

"I think so." Weiss straightened her back and stood up tall, holding her head in a way which managed to demand respect. The way that she would have been trained to since the day that she was born. The way that she didn't need to any longer.

With that, the two of them were on the way towards Blake's mother's car. Blake spotted her mother standing by the door with a bouquet of flowers, the pretty purple lillies that Blake had always liked when she was growing up. Blake wasn't able to stop the smile that stretched across her face at the sight, since it was truly a pleasant surprise.

"Blake!" Kali greeted the two of them, rushing forward for a hug. "I am so glad to be able to see you."

"Thanks, mom." Blake accepted the hug, and in the process she reached out to take the flowers, looking down at them in her hands. They looked beautiful and fragile, just like she'd always remembered. She pulled away from her mother, and passed the flowers off to Weiss instead. They suited her better. Weiss accepted them with a blush on her cheeks, and then Blake turned to her mother. "Mom, this is— "

"Weiss." Weiss cut her off, holding her head up high regally. She reached a hand forward to offer a handshake. "Weiss Schnee."

"Weiss Schnee." Kali repeated the name, almost reverently. "I must say, I have heard _quite_ a bit about you."

"Oh, I-" Weiss' eyes flickered away for a moment, almost _embarrassed_. "I'm surprised to hear that."

"We are so glad to have the two of you here." Kali charged on, clearly elated with the conversation. "Ghira's at the house, since he wanted to make sure that dinner was homemade. I think he might have also had a call to make-" She shook her head, clearly trying to distract herself away from what she was about to start rambling about. "He's going to be so happy to see you."

She pulled the door open to the car and hesitated, the keys resting loosely in her hand. "Get in, we don't have all day."

Blake climbed into the back seat of the car, and Weiss did the same once the two of them had packed their bags away in the car. Almost as soon as they were comfortable, they were holding hands.

"So, do you two have any idea how long you'll be staying?" Kali asked, starting the car. "I figure that the two of you will only be here for a while-"

"Just until we're on our feet again." Blake made sure to clarify quickly. She glanced over at Weiss out of the corner of her eye. Weiss was staring down at the flowers in her lap, almost peacefully.

"Blake is right." Weiss added on. "We're hoping that we'll be able to figure it out soon. I can help along with rent if that's something that you need-"

"Rent?" Kali laughed. "Oh, we figured that as long as you two can feed yourselves it's no harm to us to have you here for as long as you need. Will you need a room for yourself, Weiss?"

And _that_ was something that the two of them hadn't quite discussed yet. Blake had figured that she would end up in her own old bedroom, but she'd wanted to give Weiss a chance to make a decision on her own arrangements. There was a guest room at the house, so it wasn't too much of a problem. Blake just didn't want to put that pressure on Weiss when it wasn't going to be necessary to do so.

"I wouldn't mind one." Weiss said, smiling softly over at Blake in a way that managed to be quite apologetic. "If that's alright."

"We can set you up near Blake's room. It shouldn't be any problem. Will that be okay?"

"It sounds lovely." Weiss smiled, her eyes closing. "Thank you."

Blake felt Weiss' grip on her hand tighten, just a little bit. She squeezed back, just enough to make sure that Weiss knew that she felt the same. It was a comfort, and knowing that Weiss would be close was something that Blake intended to keep in mind. They were in Kuo Kuana, and they were going to be safe there.

Blake was confident in that.

* * *

Weiss sat at the dinner table with Blake and her family. There was something about the whole experience of being in Kuo Kuana that felt wrong and foreign, but surprisingly... _nice_. It didn't have to do with the different plants or weather- it had to deal with Blake's family. Weiss didn't know that she ever would have been able to spend her time around people that seemed to genuinely care for each other, or treat every interaction as some sort of power play.

With Blake's family, she saw that. It was refreshing. It reminded her of Klein.

After their meal, when Weiss was getting ready to excuse herself. Ghira, Blake's father got up instead.

"Please, Miss Schnee." He said, sounding serious but completely earnest. "Let me show you to the room that we've chosen for you."

Weiss gave him a suspicious look. This wasn't something that she had been preparing for at all. "Of course." Weiss replied, casting Blake a glance that silently asked for help. Blake just gave her a smile in response. Weiss flushed and walked alongside the man. "Thank you."

He walked her through the building, steady and calm. "So, you are the girl that our Blake has been seeing in Atlas."

"I am." Weiss confirmed. Really not a conversation that she'd been preparing to have alone, that was for sure. "I know that this is all a surprise-"

"It is." Ghira agreed, stopping in a hallway and gesturing to a single room. Weiss went to it and pushed the door open, slowly and carefully. "But it's nice seeing Blake so happy with anyone."

"Sir?" Weiss looked into the room. It had already been made and prepared for her to be there, if the little vase of flowers on the dresser was any indication. They were the same flowers that Blake had given her at the airport. The blankets were on the bed, smoothed out without so much as a single crease. It was immaculately clean. It was like she was walking into a five star hotel room- or at least the property of someone that was looking to make an impression based on her name alone.

That wasn't the case here. Weiss had to remind herself of that, but that was the truth. She was there for Blake. Just until the two of them had plans moving forward that they could use. It wasn't about reputation.

"It's been a long time." Ghira sighed. "She's going to be next door to you. I expect Kali's already told you that, though."

"She has." Weiss walked into the middle of the room. Someone had already brought her things in. "Thank you for letting me stay here for a little while."

"As long as you keep Blake happy, we're happy to have you." Ghira said, standing by the door and giving Weiss room. The way that he stands there almost makes her feel closed in, but Weiss doesn't think that he's like her father. This is not about punishment- it's a matter of not intruding. "And I've... read Blake's article about you."

"Oh." Weiss' heart sank, just with those words alone.

"If there is anything that you think you need, please-" Ghira smiled at her. "Feel free to ask us. This must be a difficult time for you."

And just like that, Weiss felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She missed Klein, but if this was going to be how things were in Kuo Kuana she might have to get used to that. "Thank you." She managed to get out. "You really don't have to-"

"You're right." Ghira says, his voice even. "But we _want_ to. I want to. If you need us, my office is down the hall from here and Kali's always around. All you have to do is ask, and we can get you anything we need. You're our guest, after all."

"Thank you." Weiss smiled up at him, feeling a little bit better. "I think I'd just like some quiet at this point though."

"Of course." Ghira stepped back away from the door, and Weiss felt the relief that washed over at that. The space was something that she could take her comfort in. He closed the door behind him, and Weiss let out a quiet breath.

She was alone, far from Atlas, and she was safe. Adam Taurus was far from her and Blake. Her eye was healing and that was about that was as good as things were going to be able to get. Blake was in the other room, and Weiss was able to go to her if she decided that she needed something.

This was good. She was _safe_.

Weiss gave the room one more look over before going to her bag and opening it up. She began to unpack it, the same way that she had done when she'd arrived in Atlas after her father's hospitalization. This was much better than that, even if the setting was unfamiliar to her.

She began to pack the clothes away, stopping when she reached the bottom of the bag.

Sitting there, still wrapped, was the gift that Neptune had given her.

She'd wanted to hold onto it for a time where she felt like she needed it. Now Weiss felt that way, and so she just seated herself on the edge of the bed in her room. Her fingers hovered over the wrapping paper.

It looked a lot less lovely in its wrapping than it had when she'd first been given the parcel.

Weiss turned it over in her hands, looking for some tape that she could peel away instead of tearing the paper. She finds it and gets the edge of her nail underneath the tape, opening it up.

Just as she reached into the opened up end of the paper, Weiss heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Weiss asked, keeping her voice quiet.

"Blake."

"Come in."

The door opened and Blake stepped in, closing it just behind her before stalking her way across the room. "What are you doing?"

"I was just trying to unpack, then I found-" She sighed, looking down at the package still. "This. Neptune gave it to me before I went to Atlas."

"And you hadn't opened it?"

"I know." Weiss smiled a little bit. "Sit with me?"

"I wanted to ask if you wanted coffee, actually." Blake offered. "Or hot chocolate."

Again Weiss missed Klein. It was exactly what he would have done had he realized that she was up alone and sad. Weiss couldn't even doubt that Blake wasn't aware of that either. She had to have been at least somewhat in tune in that way.

She took a breath. Tea wasn't her preference, but she wasn't in the mood for hot chocolate or for coffee. "Is tea possible?"

"Yeah." Blake said quietly, giving Weiss this look that Weiss wasn't able to read all that easily. It made her feel a little bit like she was being peeled apart. "Do you think that you're going to be okay here?"

"I don't know." Weiss admitted, dropping down onto her bed, bouncing just a little bit on the landing. "Right now I think that I just need to figure out what I'm doing."

Blake nodded and surprisingly took a seat beside Weiss, the errand that she'd been meaning to do apparently having been forgotten already. "You have time." Blake said quietly. "I think that we both do. At the least we aren't getting thrown out."

"I know." Weiss leaned in towards Blake, just a little bit. She let herself rest so that the two of them were pressed together, angling her head just a little bit so that it could rest securely on Blake's shoulder. Blake was warm and solid. Safe. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"It's no problem." Blake was looking down at her, that was something Weiss was sure of. "I think that we both need this. Being away from all of that, I mean." Her voice went quiet and soft in a way that Weiss couldn't help but think was almost apologetic. "You needed a chance to heal anyways."

Weiss touched the still-healing injury by her eye. It wasn't in the absolute best shape that it could have been, still just in the process of knitting back together. It was going to scar, but Weiss didn't think that she actually minded it. "I think it's going to be okay."

"That isn't what I meant." Blake said quietly. Weiss understood and nodded, tilting into Blake's body just a little bit more. She felt a strong arm wrap around her back and let herself lower down into the bed at Blake's side. She looked up at Blake and watched as her partner tied her hair back out of her face and grabbed at a light blanket.

"Do you want me to stay here for the night?" Blake asked, hesitating with her fingers hovering over the blanket. "Because I'll just be the next room over."

"I know." Weiss whispered, sitting up part way and reaching for the blanket herself. It was thin and soft, and the good thing about Kuo Kuana was that it was warm enough that it was probably all that Weiss would need. "I think I'd like you to stay though."

"Got it." Blake stretched out and pulled the blanket over the two of them. Weiss nudged her way in close, and Blake's arms wrapped around her accommodatingly. "I'm glad you're here."

Weiss smiled and shifted a little bit in the bed, edging her way up to press a gentle kiss to Blake's lips. "Me too." She whispered back, punctuating the kiss. "I'm glad I get to be here with you."

And gods, if that wasn't the truth. Weiss was at a point where she trusted Blake with her life and that wasn't a joke. Blake was safety and comfort, and danger and excitement wrapped up all into one package.

She couldn't have wanted anyone else in the world, and Weiss had a feeling that Blake knew it too.

"We should rest." Blake whispered back to her, voice even and calm. "Figuring out our lives can come in the morning."

"It can." Weiss stretched out, sleepy and content. "Good night, Blake."

"Good night, Weiss."

That night Weiss slept more soundly than she had over the course of her entire life. She wouldn't have traded it for the world.


	30. epilogue: one month later

Blake and Weiss ended up in an unassuming apartment in Vale. It was far from perfect, small and kind of cramped. It was in a busy part of the city where there was almost constantly noise coming up from the road. There didn't feel like there were a lot of benefits to it, even though it kept them within walking distance of just about anything they could have needed.

Once Blake got her bike back, Weiss was going to always be able to hear her coming home loud and clear.

The decision to leave Kuo Kuana had come easily. It had even felt _natural_ , really. Weiss had been able to see that Blake was starting to feel smothered by being so close to her family, if only because she craved a sort of independence that couldn't be fettered at all. As for Weiss, staying around Blake's family had been wonderful, but she wasn't sure that it was what she wanted either. She wanted to feel more independent anyways.

The choice to go to Vale had only been natural. Weiss still had a life of sorts established there, though a living situation was something that they'd have to figure out. Blake had thought that the city seemed nice enough, and had managed to find a job opening at a local paper which was enough to keep her half of the rent paid.

Looking around that little apartment, with its lack of decoration and uncovered windows, Weiss felt warm. So warm that it was like she could just enjoy it forever. Like a cat basking in the sun. It wasn't much, but it was _theirs_.

"Weiss?" Blake said from the bathroom, the door left open.

"What is it?" Weiss asked, shaking her head and snapping out of the reverie that she'd fallen into so easily.

"Are you okay in there?" Blake asked, poking her head out. Her hair was tied up in a loose, messy bun. It was the perfect look for her, really. Weiss was certain of that.

"Everything's fine." Weiss sighed. "I was just thinking that I'm so happy that we're here."

"It's not much." Blake added, stepping out of the bathroom. "We're going to need to get shower curtains at the least. Probably a trash can while we're at it."

And yeah, that really was something that Weiss didn't personally want to do all that much. But she couldn't deny that it _was_ necessary. "Right." She sighed, hugging herself and relaxing once Blake's arm wrapped around her shoulders. "It's just that... this is ours."

"Yeah." Blake confirmed, smiling and her expression brighter than Weiss had ever seen it. "It is. We've earned it."

Weiss nodded, feeling her face heat up and her cheeks blushing all at once. "We have." She turned to look Blake in the eyes. Warm and golden, the same as always. "It just feels like this would have been impossible a year ago."

"Which part of it?" Blake asked, a small laugh on her voice that managed to sound almost playful.

"All of it." Weiss shrugged a little bit. "It's just so incredible that we're actually here."

Blake shrugged in response, her eyes scanning the room in search of things that they would need to fix once they got the chance. "I think that it's a start." She said calmly. "After everything that happened I think that all I really want is a fresh start."

"I feel the same way." Weiss smiled, resting her head on the round of Blake's right shoulder and letting her arm wrap around her lover's waist. "I'm glad that it gets to happen with you."

"Yeah." Blake said, her voice quiet and far away. "Me too, Weiss."

Weiss closed her eyes and basked in the warmth and love.

This was what happiness felt like. It had to be.

* * *

Blake liked to think that she was adjusting to domestic life just fine. She couldn't act like she wasn't missing the itch of her old line of work, but it _was_ nice. She realized quickly into their life together that Weiss was working on herself. She was looking for work, but also learning how to do things around the house as well. Mostly learning how to cook and do handiwork in between job applications and networking in the city.

Every morning she woke up with Weiss felt like a new surprise. One day she could wake to breakfast already prepared, or she could wake and find Weiss lying on her back in the kitchen with a wrench trying to fix the leak in their sink. Had she been told that she would see _that_ sight a year before, Blake would have taken the keys of whoever suggested it and called them a cab on the spot because there was no way that they could have been sober.

But yet, there she was.

Blake felt like she was doing her best too. She called her parents once a week, she did her role to bring in money from work, she was keeping in touch with her friends back in Atlas. When Weiss needed someone to be there for her, Blake was always there, and Weiss did the same.

Home life was nice. That was the important thing. Blake felt as happy waking up in the mornings there as she did when she went to sleep.

After everything, that was all that she could have asked for.

One particular morning she got up and walked out to the kitchen to find that Weiss was there on the phone with Klein. There was also something in the frying pan in front of her, which Weiss was gingerly poking with a spatula to keep it from sticking.

Weiss noticed her and said a goodbye before hanging up.

"Good morning." Weiss greeted her, smiling. "I made breakfast."

"I can smell it." Blake responds, walking over to the little cupboard in their kitchen where they keep most of their dishware. She removes two plates, since Weiss definitely was going to make something for herself too. "What is it?"

"Eggs." Weiss said, frowning a little. "I mean, it's kind of like an omelette, but-" She scooped it onto Blake's plate.

It was a bell pepper, that had been cut into slices. Inside of one of the rings was egg and what looked like little bits of sliced ham and perhaps pieces of tomato. Blake figured it was a recipe that Weiss had gotten from Klein. It smelled amazing and it looked lovely.

"It's great." Blake said, smiling across at Weiss. "Coffee?"

"Please." Weiss replied, already beginning to make her own serving of their breakfast. "You know-"

"Cream." Blake replied, knowing what Weiss was going to say already. "With two sugars." She reached for two mugs and went to the coffee maker that they'd gotten, starting by making Weiss her coffee before making a simple mug of tea for herself. "I know."

Weiss blushed and smiled, returning to her cooking. When it was ready, Blake passed over Weiss' mug of coffee which she drank from, smiling softly the entire time. Blake stepped in behind her, wrapping her arms gently around Weiss' waist and pressing a soft kiss to the nape of her neck.

Blake didn't miss the contented hum that Weiss let out. She pulled back after a moment, since Weiss probably needed the space anyways.

When her food was finally ready and the stovetop was turned off, Weiss sat down across from Blake at their tiny kitchen table and smiled. Blake sipped from her tea and smiled back, enjoying the gentle glow of morning light against Weiss' skin and hair.

This was home, she supposed.

Blake definitely liked it. She wouldn't have traded this for the world, regardless of how much she missed the excitement of The Fang and of Atlas.

Weiss made this place feel like home.


End file.
